The winner of this year's Villa Sandy UK Sommelier of the Year 2024 has been announced, with a team member at one of the wine sector's most respected companies taking the title.
The competition was held at Haberdashers Hall in central London, and saw candidates undertake a series of tasks. In the morning, participating sommeliers took a written test, tasted the wines blind, and paired the wines as rated by members of the UK Sommeliers Association and the AIS. After that, the candidates were narrowed down to just three semi-finalists.
In the afternoon, the semi-finalists took to the stage where they were judged on their service skills, with other bartenders, former champions, buyers and journalists acting as customers. Here they were evaluated not only on their knowledge of wine and pouring technique, but also, crucially, on their ability to communicate.
Following the jury's deliberations, the overall winner has now been announced as Nick Kimball, chief executive officer of Berry Bros. & Rudd, historic wine merchant.
First runner-up was Stefan Cobbald, Head Sommelier at Core by Clare Smyth, and second runner-up was Juan Manuel Marcos Pérez, Premium Accounts Director at Bibendum Wine.
As the winner, Kimball received a trophy, scarf and magnum of Prosecco provided by title sponsor Villa Sandi, a trip to Venice (with a visit to the Villa Sandi estate), and a check for £1,000 presented by UKSA. Kobald and Marcus received a trophy, a glass of Prosecco and a prize of £250 each.
In a LinkedIn post from the Berry Bros. account, & Rudd, the company celebrated Kemball's success: “Anyone who has attended a wine tasting hosted by Nick will know that he is great at passing on his knowledge; However, this is still an impressive achievement, beating out talented competitors from three Michelin star restaurants. Congratulations Nick; Fortunately, you'll know the perfect wine for this celebration.
