World's Best Sommeliers Convene in France

The 14 best sommeliers of the world will meet to discuss the future of the Sommellerie on July 3rd and 4th. They will convene in Epernay, located in the heart of the Champagne region of France, to examine their rapidly changing industry.

Sommeliers attending the summit are: Frenchmen Armand Melkonian, Jean-Luc Pouteau, Jean-Claude Jambon, Serge Dubs, Philippe Faure-Brac, Olivier Poussier; Italians Piero Sattanino, Giuseppe Vaccarini, Enrico Bernardo; Shinya Tasaki from Japan; Markus del Monego from Germany;  Andreas Larsson from Sweden; Gerard Basset from United Kingdom and Paolo Basso from Switzerland.

For two days, the who's who of international sommeliers - sponsored by Moët & Chandon, with the support of S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna with Nespresso - will focus on strategic issues, priorities and actions in order to evolve a framework that, as noted by the award-winning sommelier Piero Sattanino, is no longer just about the wine, but also beer, water, coffee and liqueurs.

Two special tasting moments are expected during the summit. The first is called LE& and will be held in the beautiful setting of the Orangerie of the Moët & Chandon Estate. It is a pop-up dinner hosted by Moët & Chandon in collaboration with three Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. The gastronomic experience is an innovative concept that combines four different champagne vintages and the culinary creations of the chef - all designed to go beyond the traditional wine-food pairings.
The other - a lunch at the castle of Saran, on the Moët & Chandon property - will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Association Internationale de la Sommellerie (ASI). 

FineDiningLovers.com will be there documenting the events as they unfold. Stay tuned for more news directly from France!