Julia Scavo crowned Master of Port

Double bronze medallist of the A.S.I. Contest of the Best Sommelier of Europe, the Romanian sommelier won in Paris the 17th edition of the Master of Port. A very first for a woman!

Just after the results of the 17th Master of Port were announced in the lounges of the Embassy of Portugal in Paris, although Julia Scavo warmly thanked her husband sommelier Bruno for his help in preparing her,
her victory is first the victory of a wine enthusiast. Wine as a product in continuous evolution stemming from the vineyard and men's work of course, but also in its cultural dimension.

A huge knowledge she first used in the written tests about Port and its universe. And a wealth of information she then shared with the jury members and in front of a large audience come numerous for the finals.

The foundations of a victory she already aimed at in 2012. But after the finals, Bertrand Bijasson from Bordeaux won the title of Master of Port. Absent in 2015, Julia Scavo came back this year to reach her goal becoming at the same time the first female sommelier to win.

Three favourites and a surprise guest in the finals

But before she managed to hardly control her emotion Julia Scavo and the ten other finalists chosen after the selection organized in Paris in May experienced a very intense afternoon of tests. Written tasting review, quick tests about geography, management and marketing preceeded the traditional questionnaire that required a full hour of concentration.

Two practical workshops complemented the programme before the candidates had to confront with the cocktail test that reminds us that Port wine can also be enjoyed that way. A special prize rewards the originality and the gustatory qualities of the creation. And this year, it has been given to Lionel Schneider, deputy director of sommellerie of Ritz Paris.

A consolation as the day after he could only attend the finals as a spectator. A decisive stage that gathered three of the favourites: Julia Scavo, Gaëtan Bouvier (La villa florentine in Lyon), Best Sommelier of France 2016, and Jean-Baptiste Klein (Le Chambard in Kaysersberg), Best Young Sommelier of France 2011. The fourth to be qualified could barely conceal his surprise, Micaël Morais (Tomy & Co in Paris).

The end we know with the victory of Julia Scavo who wants to encourage the female sommeliers to be present in the contests to shake up the masculine hierarchy as she did brilliantly.

Jean Bernard

The semifinalists

Gaëtan Bouvier (La villa florentine, Lyon), Régis Gabillard (Les caves de Joseph, Rennes), Jean-Baptiste Klein (Le Chambard, Kayserberg), Melissa Lezin (Cave Art & Vins, Bordeaux), Micaël Morais (Tomy & Co, Paris), Yohan Nguyen (Villa René-Lalique, Wingen-sur-Moder), Tristan Ringenbach (Cave Triovino, Lyon), Yann Satin (Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster, Le Touquet-Paris Plage), Julia Scavo (Le Milord C, Beaulieu-sur-Mer), Lionel Schneider (La table de l'espadon, Ritz, Paris), Frédéric Woelfflé (Joël Robuchon Monte-Carlo, L'Hôtel Métropole).