On last March 26th, the twelve finalists of the 10th G.H.Mumm Trophy came to Reims from Biarritz, Marseille, Guyancourt, La Rochelle, or Illkirch, with their teachers, to try and win in the bar or sommellerie category. To acclaim them, give them advise, decide between them, they could count on great personalities of the profession like Philippe Faure-Brac, World's Best Sommelier, Yves Chapier, president of the Association of Sommeliers of Champagne-Ardenne, but also gastronomic critics like Jean-Luc Petitrenaud from Europe 1 and Le Point … They all were tuned to find the young talents of tomorrow and honour this “Trophy with knowledge and know-how” as says Michel Letter, Deputy Managing Director of the House G.H.Mumm.
“Incredible: this school-firm-State initiative! Exceptional this meeting between the three universes school-student-House! Interesting, this encounter dynamics between school-region-business! In this solidarity, everybody wins”, Philippe Faure-Brac states. The young students learnt a lot at school: technique, varietals, terroirs. This competition is for them the flagship test and represents a springboard for their future life.
Richard Demoulin, certified teacher of the Lycée de Bazeilles and co-founder of the Trophy, confided to us that the 2012 finalists are very mature, very stable and that this contest was a compulsory step in their education. He also underlined that the Mumm trophy is the only competition that resembles both profession of sommelier and barman with Champagne.
During this tenth edition, there was no age for skills. Victory was obtained by the youngest candidate, Ludovic Chaver, aged 18, from the Lycée de Bonneveine in Marseille, who was brilliant in sommellerie. “The Champagne is the first wine I appreciated. That is how my father celebrated Christmas and all our birthdays. I came to Reims in the end of the year with my savings to visit the house Mumm and reach my goal: win the trophy! Next week, you'll see me at the Crillon in Paris for two months. I like contests. I aim at the title of France's Best Sommelier, but the path is so long…”
Other candidate, other Mediterranean: Cédric Buscemi, from the Lycée Charles de Gaulle in Sète, won the title in the bar category. With a degree in hotel business in Belgium, he spent a year in Sète to follow the barman course. “Champagne is the flagship product of a bar” he confided. After a month in Montpellier, serving at Papa Dobblé (ranked 41st best bar in the world), he will be this summer at La Messardière in Saint-Tropez.
Marie-Caroline Bourrellis
Crédit Photos : Michel Jolyot
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