Although the Competition had to be cancelled last year, 2020 was an eventful year with a revamped set of Rules and Guidelines. The emphasis of the Competition has always been intended to provide motivation to up-and-coming young Sommeliers and an opportunity for them to compete - and learn from competing - in a high level international competition.

Over the previous 13 years of the Competition the Finals had become dominated by Sommeliers who had already become established. The changes to the Rules and Guidelines were introduced with the intention of returning the Competition to the encouragement and motivation of young Sommeliers from as many Bailliages as possible who are still climbing the ladder.

After the enforced cancellation of the 2020 Final, the Committee was keen to avoid another year without the event taking place. Thankfully Lyon 2021 went ahead - and very successfully too.

Unfortunately, in the last few days before the event we lost to illness Brian Julyan, our Head Judge, as well as the competitors from Germany and Norway (their winner from the 2020 National Final). We trust that they have all fully recovered now.

We were extremely grateful therefore to Stefan Neumann for readily stepping up to be head of the panel of judges and also to Tamás Czinki for being able to come from Budapest at short notice to make up the foursome.

The Semi-final on Thursday, November 11th put the eight competitors through their paces.

Starting with a theory paper, they moved to the practical phase and concluded with a blind tasting. Never easy to perform under pressure and the close scrutiny of the panel of judges, I always have great admiration for the young competitors.

Namely …
Belgium - Emma Neerinck
Finland - Antero Niemiaho
Great Britain - Markron Patana
Korea - Ko Dong-Yeon
Mexico - Mariana Aguilar
Myanmar - Nyan Htet Naing
Netherlands - Sasja Moonen
Norway - Nikolai Svorte

When the scores were accumulated, the three finalists were announced as Dong-Yeon from Korea, Markron from Great Britain and Nikolai from Norway.

On Friday 12th, the morning of the Final, these three competed for the title of the Chaîne’s Best Young Sommelier for 2021.

Under the leadership of Stefan Neumann MS, the panel of judges (Florent Martin, Helga Schroeder MS and Tamás Czinki MS) scrutinised the knowledge and skills of the three young finalists.

The members and guests in the audience were enthralled by the performance of all three during the several elements of the Final. They all gave of their best, quite admirably, and as best they could, putting the stress of the occasion to one side.

Correctly, the judges kept the scores a big secret until the announcement of the 3-2-1 at the Awards Presentation at “Abbaye de Collonges - Paul Bocuse” on the Friday evening.

It was then, and only then, that everyone learned that GB’s Markron Patana was in Third Place, Korea’s Ko Dong-Yeon was the Runner-up and the 2021 Winner was Nikolai Svorte from Norway.

Given that the Norway young chefs had recently won the 2020 and 2021 Finals of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs, Nikolai’s win made it a clean sweep for Norway: three out of three!

Everyone agreed that all the competitors were winners. Congratulations to them all therefore!

There are many people who bring an international competition to a successful conclusion.

To those people and organisations in the wine and alcoholic beverage industry who have provided valued support.

To our panel of judges and the volunteers who have posed as clients during the practical elements of the Competition.

To Sabine Tachot and Laura Smet, our hard-working team members from the Siège Mondial, and Anne Étorre, our conference organiser.

On behalf of the Committee I give sincere thanks to you all.

Finally, much appreciation goes to Wempe Watches for their ongoing sponsorship of the competition. Not forgetting Rova Caviar who, this year, provided some of their delicious “black gold” as prizes.

The 2022 Final will take place in September in Dresden, Germany. To Bailliages around the world I say look to your young professionals. Hopefully the pandemic will no longer be a challenge meaning that you will be able to enter a competitor to not only represent your Bailliage but also to give you the satisfaction that you will be potentially helping a young Sommelier on the road to success.

Marie Jones
International Vice-President
Chair of the Organising Committee of the International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition

Photography by Mary Erhardy (maryerhardy.com)

Committee Members
Klaus Tritschler, Member of the Conseil d'Administration (Germany)
Philip Evins, Member of the Conseil Magistral (Great Britain)