For the seventh consecutive year Échanson Johan Valderrabano organized Mexico’s National Final of the Jeunes Sommeliers Competition. It was held in the wine cellar of the Hotel Presidente in Mexico City.

As usual, the event had a theoretical exam, blind tasting and service test. In the spirit of creating a community of Chaîne Sommeliers in Mexico, Johan invited winning sommeliers from past National Finals to be part of the jury.

A wine master class from Santa Barbara, California, was presented. A complimentary cocktail was provided by the Enate Winery, as well as the wines for decanting. Marqués de Murrieta and Jackson Family Estate wines were chosen for the wines in the tasting element of the competition. Champagne Besserat de Bellefon was used for the sparkling wine service test, in addition to having Spanish, American and French wines of various vintages.

When the scores were totted up, the result was:
- Winner: Rogerio Montesinos Martinez of Nobu Hotel, Los Cabos
- Runner-up: Brandon Reynoso Peralta of Gran Solmar, Los Cabos
- Third Place: Oskar Castillo Alvarez of Pueblo Bonito, Los Cabos

The winner will now represent our country in the International Final in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in September.

Johan Valderrabano
Échanson