Here are the profiles of the 14 young people who participated in this year’s competition. They are shown in the order Winner, Runner-up, Third Place followed by the other talented competitors.

Marie Jones
International Vice-President
Competition Committee Chair

Photography: Kareem Moussa (katchkadrr)
Photo editing: Sami Khatib (threedotsphotography)

WINNER: Sweden - Albert Wendesten
Albert Wendesten, 27, is Wine Consultant at Restaurant Smak in Stockholm. Smak is a sleek eaterie turning out creative Nordic tapas matched with equally creative drinks. Prior to this he was Bar Manager at Knock Em Down in Växjö (2019-2021), Restaurant Manager/Sommelier at Växjö Saluhall (2021-2022) and Sommelier at Leijontornet in Stockholm. He is a member of the Swedish National Sommelier Team, known as “Swesomm”.

RUNNER-UP: Germany - Mirco Liesk
Mirco Liesk, 24, is a Chef de Rang at Kinfelts Kitchen & Wine in Hamburg. It is the second restaurant of Michelin-star Chef Kirill Kinfelt situated in the heart of the HafenCity, just a stone’s throw away from the Elbphilharmonie. Mirco trained at worked at Landhotel Burg in Spreewald, he then joined Cavalierhaus Branitz in Cottbus as a Chef de Rang before moving to Kinfelts in November 2023 where he works with Sommelier Maximilian Wilm, a former competitor and judge in the International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition.

THIRD PLACE: Great Britain - Liu Yancheng
Liu Yancheng, 26, holds the WSET Diploma, is a Certified Sommelier and a French Wine Scholar. He studied commercial law at Glasgow University and maritime law at Dalian (China) University, becoming a trainee lawyer at Allbright Law Offices in Shanghai. However, in 2022 he returned to Glasgow working as a Commis Chef at Shucks Seafood Restaurant & Bar. From July 2022-April 2023 he was a Junior Sommelier at Sketch London before taking up his current post of Assistant Head Sommelier at Maison Estelle, a private members club housed in a grand Georgian Grade I listed townhouse in London’s Mayfair.

Belgium - Margaux Balemans
Margaux Balemans, 23, is the talented Sommelier at Le Sanglier des Ardennes, a five-star hotel nestled in the heart of Durbuy, the pearl of the Belgian Ardennes and reputed to be the world’s smallest town. Already in 2024, Margaux has been honoured with Belgium’s “Young Sommelier Award of Excellence” which came on top of her Runner-up spot in the Best Sommelier of Belgium competition. Previously, in 2020, she won the Junior Sommelier of Belgium competition. Margaux expressed her gratitude to her parents and brother for their constant support, as well as to her mentors, notably Gianluca Di Taranto, Wine Director of Le Sanglier des Ardennes.

Canada - Maxwell Brayer
Maxwell Brayer, 24, is a tasting room host and wine shop supervisor at Arrowleaf Cellars in Lake Country. In 2020, he moved from Edmonton to Kelowna and fell in love with Okanagan wines. He landed the job at Arrowleaf and earned his Level 1, 2 and 3 WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) certifications, did the sommelier exam and is working on the WSET Diploma. Maxwell says he is passionate about wine and sharing his knowledge with others, thus providing memorable experiences through high-quality service.

Finland - Natalie Hayashi
Natalie Hayashi, 25, is a Junior Sommelier at Restaurant Muru in Helsinki, one the most acclaimed wine restaurants in Finland known for its good food, great wines and uncompromising passion for customer service. Natalie studied for a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management/Marketing at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. Prior to her current employment, from 2017-2023 Natalie was Maître D’ at Ravintala Nokka, a Finnish speciality restaurant in Helsinki followed by a short spell at Italian restaurant, Locanda Nokka also in Helsinki.

Israel - Asaf Arbiv
Since 2016, Asaf Arbiv, 28, has been at Kab Kem Restaurant in Tel Aviv, where his duties have included being Sommelier, Beverage Department Manager, Training Manager. Kab Kem is a celebration, an act of leisure. It is a culinary experience that originated in Thailand and refers to a meeting between friends or family, an evening accompanied with food, alcohol and music. The food is piquant and spicy, the alcohol needs to be carefully matched. As well as working at Kab Kem, since 2021 he has been studying for a BA in History and Humanities at Tel Aviv University.

Korea - Lee Seung Joo
Seung Joo, 26, is Head Sommelier at Kwon Sook Soo, a Michelin 2-star Korean restaurant. He studied Major Hotel Management at Sejong University Future Education Institute in Seoul. At Kwon Sook Soo, he specialises in organizing wine dinners and events, aiming to deliver unforgettable experiences through the harmonious pairing of Korean cuisine and wine. He says, “My deep knowledge of wine and exceptional pairing skills have earned high praise from many guests. I continually strive to ensure that the delicate flavours of Korean dishes are perfectly complemented by the wines I select. My passion is to provide our guests with the ultimate gastronomic experiences.”

Mexico - Abraham Treviño
Abraham Treviño, 26, is Wine Sommelier at Don Sánchez, an amazing contemporary Mexican restaurant in San José del Cabo by Chef Edgar Román. Having begun and developed his career in Los Cabos, the two years from July 2021 saw him in the United Arab Emirates working as Wine supervisor at LPM (La Petite Maison) in Abu Dhabi before he returned to take up his current role at Don Sánchez where he is applying his 9+ years of expertise in the food and beverage sector to good effect.

Norway - Yohana Haile
Yohana Haile, 25, is a Wine Butler & Trainee Manager at Fagn in Trondheim where fine dining meets star quality (a Michelin one awarded in 2019). After studying restaurant service at Kristiansund College, in 2020 she joined the Britannia Hotel in Trondheim on a restaurant service apprenticeship. In 2022, Yohana was named Norway's best apprentice at a competition held in Stavanger. Needless to say, she passed her apprenticeship with flying colours. Continuing for a short time to work at the Britannia she moved to Fagn where she commenced training as a Sommelier.

Poland - Michał Flis
Michał Flis, 26, is Head Sommelier at Rozbrat 20 Restaurant in Poland’s capital city, Warsaw. He has been involved in wine for five years. Interestingly, taking part in the National Final was his competition debut. When he became professionally involved in the gastronomy industry, he discovered that wine is an interesting niche in which one can combine work with passion, hospitality, and establishing contacts with people. Michał said. “I was looking for a place where I could develop and that’s how I found Dylettanci Restaurant in Warsaw. Janek Winiarski, Head Sommelier, became my mentor there. This student-master relationship is very important in this profession as it is the simplest and best way to gain knowledge.”

Portugal - José Marta
Charismatic, confident and always with a story to tell along the way, 26-year old José Marta says he likes to find the perfect balance between relaxation, fun and professionalism. Having studied sommellerie at Hotel & Tourism College in Porto in between stints as Sommelier at the renowned Vila Vita Parc, José spent 18 months developing his skills at the equally renowned Monte Rei Golf & Country Club. Since February 2024 he has been Chef de Rang and Assistant Sommelier at Fifty Seconds in Lisbon.

Türkiye - Türker Serdar Sümer
Since March 2024, Türker Serdar Sümar, 26, is Sommelier of the Conrad Hotel at the Bosphorus in Besiktas/Istanbul. His wide-ranging role includes creating wine lists for the hotel’s different themed restaurants, planning/presenting wine training for the hotel staff, as well as the traditional Sommelier’s cellar responsibilities and at table service duties. Prior to the Conrad he was Sommelier at the Four Seasons at the Bosphorus from 2022. And prior to that did a summer season as a Wine Steward at Pier 290 in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, USA.

USA - Samuel Neely
Samuel Neely, 25, is a Certified Sommelier. He first participated in the Bailliage of USA Jeunes Sommeliers Competition in 2023 representing the Bailliage Provincial of Southwest since he was working at Emmer 7 Rye Hospitality Group in Austin, Texas. He was the Runner-up in the National Final. In 2024 he made a comeback and competed again, this time being declared the winner of the National Final, albeit this time he represented the Bailliage Provincial of Northeast since he had moved to a new job in October 2023 and is now working at Eleven Madison Park in New York.