The Shout Magazine (New Zealand)

The first ever World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection revealed

The first ever World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection has been revealed, following a meticulous tasting process carried out by an international panel of expert sommeliers.

On January 16, 30 of the world’s most renowned sommeliers travelled from all corners of the globe to the UK to take part in the world premiere of the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection, an exclusive tasting from William Reed, the name behind The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and World’s Best Vineyards.

Producers were invited to submit their wines into this tasting and the final selection will serve as a useful tool for on-trade professionals all over the globe to seek out peer-recommended wines.

Representing four continents and 16 countries, the sommeliers invited onto the panel represented restaurants such as Disfrutar (Barcelona), Central and Kjolle (Lima), DiverXO (Madrid), The Jane (Antwerp), Quintonil (Mexico City), Alchemist (Copenhagen), and Gaggan Anand (Bangkok). See the full list of sommeliers here.

Four New Zealand wines were named in the 2024 list:

Coal Pit Tiwha Pinot Noir 2019, Central Otago
Craggy Range Pinot Noir 2021, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Wairarapa
Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Wairarapa
Old House Vineyards The Black Fantail Pinot Noir 2019, Nelson

View the the complete World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection 2024 here, including the sommeliers’ tasting notes and food pairing recommendations.

Andrew Reed, Managing Director Wine and Exhibitions at William Reed, says the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection gives exceptional winemakers the opportunity to present their wines exclusively to top sommeliers from across the globe.

“This tasting is unique on so many levels, but for the producers who submit, one of the biggest attractions is the guaranteed audience,” he says.

“The sommeliers had the opportunity to listen to and enjoy the stories behind each of the wines, meaning they were able to truly appreciate the narrative of each bottle.

“I think the World’s Best Sommeliers’ Selection website will be an invaluable source of information for all sommeliers all over the world and we are thrilled by the positive feedback that we have had from the sommeliers that took part; we are already looking forward to the tasting in 2025!”

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