4th contest of the Best Sommelier of Mauritius

In the mild Mauritian winter Jeff Luciano Thomé has won the title of the Best Sommelier of Mauritius. A final that took place at the “Aventure du sucre” where the sugar cane and products stemming from it are celebrated.

But before he could raise the (very!) heavy trophy that associates a bunch of grapes and a dodo–a bird now disappeared but that has become a symbol in Mauritius–the future winner had to pass two stages. Indeed the contest of the Best Sommelier of Mauritius is patterned after the French competition. A first selection has thus gathered 25 candidates, then the best 6 of them have had a few weeks to prepare to the semi-finals played on the morning before the finals.

A well-mastered final

This second stage that took place at the hotel and catering school Sir Gaëtan-Duval was fast-paced, dense and difficult! Starting with the editing of an incorrect wine list. Then the opening and decanting of a magnum of Chablis (the candidate had to avoid making a mistake on the vintage) and simultaneously proposing a selection of wines to match a birthday menu. A food and wine pairing test was proposed over a selection of three fortified wines from Mas Amiel and a typical Mauritian dish. Then a rhum and coffee pairing exercise was proposed in which the finalists had to show their excellent knowledge of Mauritian rums as well as of the different Nespresso coffees.

At last, in front of Michel Hermet (UDSF president) and Anthony Hamilton Russel (a South-African wine grower), each sommelier had to serve a glass of wine using the Coravin system while explaining the tool’s advantages–and weaknesses if any. A last question enabled the three candidates to evoke their passion for their profession and the value they place on it. A lot of tricks Jeff Luciano Thomé dealt with with a technical and emotional mastery that made the difference.

A trip to Saint-Emilion and Roussillon

When the results were announced Jeff Luciano Thomé was thus crowned ahead of Noël Jean Desvaux and De Lores Malin. A title he had already tried to win at the previous three editions. Within a few months the winner will embark on an Air Mauritius flight to France, especially the Bordeaux region and Roussillon. Indeed Nicolas Raffy, manager and winemaker of Mas Amiel, invited Jeff Luciano Thomé to come and discover Olivier Decelle’s vineyards. He will stay in Saint-Emilion at Château Jean-Faure, then in Maury at Mas Amiel, two estates whose wines have a peculiar place on the menus in Mauritius and especially in the Constance group restaurants.
But before this journey the new Best Sommelier of Mauritius will have the opportunity to participate in the selection for the Mauritian candidate for the next European contest. In May 2017 the latter will go to Vienna, Austria, for the A.S.I contest of the newly renamed “Contest of the Best Sommelier of Europe-Africa”. A big challenge!

Jean Bernard

ASIM provides training to the French savoir-faire

“From the beginning”, says Jérôme Faure, founder and president of ‘Association des Sommeliers de l’Ile Maurice’ (ASIM) and head sommelier of the Constance group, “we wished the association to contribute to the training of the serving staff who had a real interest for wine.” Since its first contests in 2010 ASIM has always drawn upon the French sommellerie’s expertise. For the organization and for the jury.

Thus this year, beside special guest Michel Hermet, UDSF was also represented by Antoine Woerlé (teacher sommelier at the Alexandre-Dumas school in Illkirch-Graffenstaden) and major player in the organization of the Mauritian contest since the beginning. Also present since 2010 David Biraud (head sommelier of Sur Mesure by Thierry Marx at Mandarin Oriental Paris), silver medal of the last world contest. David Biraud could notice “the progress made by the candidates, result of the training provided by this young national association, and of the awareness of the hotel managers about the necessity of having sommeliers in their restaurant …”