Rising star Yohann Jousselin of Hotel du Vin in Winchester was pronounced Great Britain Young Sommelier of the Year at a recent competition in Central London, writes Craig Butcher.
Yohann celebrated his win last night at the Gaggenau showrooms near Oxford Circus after beating off stiff competition from second-placed young sommelier Erica Laler from Icelandic restaurant Texture and third-placed Daniel Kubini of Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Great Milton.
Organised by the International gastronomic society Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, contestants were grilled by some of the biggest names in wine, including Gerard Basset of Hotel du Vin, over the course of a theory examination, a blind tasting and a service test. The competition aims to dig out the wine buffs of the future. It’s these young talents that will in time become head sommeliers at some of the UK’s best restaurants, serving and educating diners in their wine selection.