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🍷📚 The ASI 2026 exam season is officially starting, offering sommeliers and future sommeliers several pathways to grow, learn, and gain international recognition. 🌍✨

🗓️ What’s on the calendar this year?
• 🥇 ASI Diploma – 9 March 2026
• 🌱 ASI Prep (NEW!) – available from February 2026
• 📝 ASI Certification 1 – available in 2026
• 🚀 ASI Certification 2 – available from early September 2026

Whether you’re taking your first step into sommellerie or aiming to advance your professional credentials, ASI exams offer a structured, globally recognised education pathway — all organised through your national sommelier association.

👉 Interested in sitting one of the ASI exams?

📩 Contact your national sommelier association for registration details and local exam schedules.

🔗 Full details on exams, rules & pathways:
👉 https://www.asi.info/exams/

Your ASI journey starts — or continues — here. 🍾✨

#ASISomms #ASIExams #SommelierLife #WineEducation #WineProfessionals #ASIDiploma #ASICertification #ASIPrep #HospitalityCareers #GlobalSommelier

📣 The ASI Sommelier Guidelines have a new look!

We’ve refined the structure for better flow, clarity, and readability — and we’re thrilled to announce that the Beer and Sake sections are now available in English, French, and Spanish.

🍺🍶 As beer and sake become integral parts of modern beverage programs, it’s more important than ever for sommeliers to expand their knowledge beyond wine.

A huge thank you to the ASI Exams & Education Committee team — especially Sören — for their dedication and precision in shaping this updated edition. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our partner Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association for their expertise and guidance in building the sake grids!

📘 Explore the updated guidelines available online on ASI website under Education or following the link below: https://www.asi.info/education/grids-tutorials/ !Elevate your beverage service!

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIEducation #ASIExamsandEducation #Sommeliers #ASIGuidelines #ASISommelierGuidelines #Wine #Beer #Sake #SommelierEducation #AssociationDeLaSommellerieInternationale

🚨 The ASI needs your support! 🚨

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) – the non-profit organisation uniting 75 national sommelier associations worldwide – has been the target of a serious cyberattack.
Hackers compromised our email system and falsified invoices, diverting vital funds and putting our educational programs and competitions at risk.

But our mission remains strong:
💪 Support and train the next generation of sommeliers
🌎 Bring our global community together through education and competitions

To ensure the future of our flagship events:
📍 Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific – Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
📍 Best Sommelier of the World – Portugal, October 2026
📍 Bootcamp Americas – tbc, 2026

…we have launched the Support ASI fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.

🙏 Every donation helps us continue our mission.
✨ Stand with us, support our sommeliers, and share this message.

🔗 Donate now: https://gofund.me/ef0cd625 (link also in bio)

#SupportASI #Sommelier #ASI #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #SupportSommeliers #WineCommunity #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation #Solidarity

🚨 The ASI needs your support! 🚨

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) – the non-profit organisation uniting 75 national sommelier associations worldwide – has been the target of a serious cyberattack.
Hackers compromised our email system and falsified invoices, diverting vital funds and putting our educational programs and competitions at risk.

But our mission remains strong:
💪 Support and train the next generation of sommeliers
🌎 Bring our global community together through education and competitions

To ensure the future of our flagship events:
📍 Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific – Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
📍 Best Sommelier of the World – Portugal, October 2026
📍 Bootcamp Americas – tbc, 2026

…we have launched the Support ASI fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.

🙏 Every donation helps us continue our mission.
✨ Stand with us, support our sommeliers, and share this message.

🔗 Donate now: https://gofund.me/ef0cd625 (link also in bio)

#SupportASI #Sommelier #ASI #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #SupportSommeliers #WineCommunity #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation #Solidarity

🚨 The ASI needs your support! 🚨

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) – the non-profit organisation uniting 75 national sommelier associations worldwide – has been the target of a serious cyberattack.
Hackers compromised our email system and falsified invoices, diverting vital funds and putting our educational programs and competitions at risk.

But our mission remains strong:
💪 Support and train the next generation of sommeliers
🌎 Bring our global community together through education and competitions

To ensure the future of our flagship events:
📍 Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific – Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
📍 Best Sommelier of the World – Portugal, October 2026
📍 Bootcamp Americas – tbc, 2026

…we have launched the Support ASI fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.

🙏 Every donation helps us continue our mission.
✨ Stand with us, support our sommeliers, and share this message.

🔗 Donate now: https://gofund.me/ef0cd625 (link also in bio)

#SupportASI #Sommelier #ASI #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #SupportSommeliers #WineCommunity #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation #Solidarity

🚨 The ASI needs your support! 🚨

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) – the non-profit organisation uniting 75 national sommelier associations worldwide – has been the target of a serious cyberattack.
Hackers compromised our email system and falsified invoices, diverting vital funds and putting our educational programs and competitions at risk.

But our mission remains strong:
💪 Support and train the next generation of sommeliers
🌎 Bring our global community together through education and competitions

To ensure the future of our flagship events:
📍 Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific – Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
📍 Best Sommelier of the World – Portugal, October 2026
📍 Bootcamp Americas – tbc, 2026

…we have launched the Support ASI fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.

🙏 Every donation helps us continue our mission.
✨ Stand with us, support our sommeliers, and share this message.

🔗 Donate now: https://gofund.me/ef0cd625 (link also in bio)

#SupportASI #Sommelier #ASI #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #SupportSommeliers #WineCommunity #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation #Solidarity

🚨 The ASI needs your support! 🚨

The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) – the non-profit organisation uniting 75 national sommelier associations worldwide – has been the target of a serious cyberattack.
Hackers compromised our email system and falsified invoices, diverting vital funds and putting our educational programs and competitions at risk.

But our mission remains strong:
💪 Support and train the next generation of sommeliers
🌎 Bring our global community together through education and competitions

To ensure the future of our flagship events:
📍 Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific – Kuala Lumpur, September 2025
📍 Best Sommelier of the World – Portugal, October 2026
📍 Bootcamp Americas – tbc, 2026

…we have launched the Support ASI fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.

🙏 Every donation helps us continue our mission.
✨ Stand with us, support our sommeliers, and share this message.

🔗 Donate now: https://gofund.me/ef0cd625 (link also in bio)

#SupportASI #Sommelier #ASI #ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #SupportSommeliers #WineCommunity #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation #Solidarity

Pairing Tuesday 🍴🍷
Mexico 🇲🇽

Where Pacific meets desert—Mexico's wines shine with the country's bold, layered flavors. These pairings showcase regional harmony and challenge assumptions.

🐟 BAJA FISH TACOS & CHENIN BLANC Beer-battered pescado with crema and cabbage meets Valle de Guadalupe Chenin's texture and acidity. The wine cuts through the fried batter, stone fruit complements lime and cilantro, and enough weight to handle the creamy salsa. Coastal wine, coastal food—terroir synergy.

🌮 TACOS AL PASTOR & GRENACHE Achiote-marinated pork with pineapple demands a wine with fruit and spice. Grenache's red berry brightness matches the sweet-savory interplay, peppery notes echo the chiles, and silky tannins won't fight the meat. Mediterranean grape meets Mexican soul.

🦞 PUERTO NUEVO LOBSTER & NEBBIOLO Butter-drizzled lobster with beans and tortillas pairs surprisingly with Baja Nebbiolo. The wine's high acidity cuts the richness, delicate tannins respect the shellfish, and tar/rose aromatics add complexity. Italian grape, Mexican expression—it works.

🫔 MOLE NEGRO & TEMPRANILLO RESERVA Oaxaca's 30-ingredient mole needs a wine with structure and age. Tempranillo's leather and tobacco notes mirror the mole's complexity, oxidative character complements chocolate and dried chiles, and integrated tannins handle the sauce's richness. Spain's grape, Mexico's soul food.

🧀 QUESO FUNDIDO & MISSION GRAPE ORANGE WINE Melted cheese with chorizo meets skin-contact Mission's tannic grip and savory character. Phenolic structure handles the fat, orange wine's funk complements the spice, and it's a historic grape reimagined.

🥃 MEZCAL remains king—but wine's throne is rising!
Ancient vines, modern vision. 🤩

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIPairingTuesdays #MexicanWine #BajaCuisine #ValleDeGuadalupe #FoodAndWinePairing #Tempranillo #TacosAndWine #SommLife #TerroirToTable #MexicanFood #NewWorldWine

Road to Lisbon: meet your heroes 🤩🔥

Presenting the candidates who will contend for the title this October in Lisbon 🇵🇹

Francesco Cosci 🍷 @frances_cosci
Representing: Italy 🇮🇹 @aspi.sommelier
ASI Diploma Gold 🏅
Wine director at Hôtel Le Bristol📍 Paris, France @lebristolparis

Identifies with: Nebbiolo 🍇

Inspired by: Philippe Troussard and Olivier Poussier ❤️ for their deep knowledge and class 🤩

See you in October 😉

@escancoesdeportugal

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #RoadtoLisbon2026 #ASIBestSommelier2026 #ASIBSW2026 #Portugal #Sommelier #Wine #SommelierContest #SommelierCompetition #SommLife

🍷🔥 Crossed Perspectives: an ASI masterclass with Reeze Choi and Kevin Lu MS
📍 Vinexpo Asia 2026

The Crossed Perspectives Masterclass brings together two world-renowned sommeliers for a high-level and interactive dialogue. 🤩 These experts curate their own exclusive selection of wines, joining forces to taste, compare and debate their unique interpretations of a specific wine theme. 😉🍷

By showcasing how multiple approaches to the same topic can coexist, this masterclass demonstrates that expertise is never singular. 👏 Attendees will discover how diverse viewpoints can enrich the wine experience and prove that quality and excellence can be reached through many paths. 🔥

🗓️ 27 May
🕛 16:00
📍 Room N-104-105 Masterclasses
Free entrance: First come, first seated

About Reeze:
🥇 ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific 2025
🥇 2nd Runner-up ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023
🥇 1st Runner-up ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania 2018
🍷 Founder of Somm's Philosophy
Advanced Sommelier Certificate of The Count of Master Sommeliers (CMS), WSET Level Three Award in Wines, WSET educator certificate, candidate of CMS Master Sommelier.

About Kevin:
🥇 ASI Gold Diploma
🥇 13th ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023
Master Sommelier (achieved 2024)
Wine & Spirits Education Trust Level 3 Award
🍷 Chef Sommelier at Logy, Taipei, Taiwan

Join us for a new exciting format with the regions’s greatest sommeliers! ✨

@reeze_the_sommbie @lu__kevin_ms @vinexposium

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIPartner #ASIPartnerNews #VinexpoAsia2026 #VinexpoHongKong2026#BlindTasting #SommLife #WineProfessionals #WineEducation #Masterclass #WineCommunity #WineEvents

🍷🔥 ASI x Vinexposium Blind Tasting Challenge with Reeze Choi
📍 Vinexpo Asia 2026

✨ Don’t miss our classic, much-loved masterclass!

Think you can crack a blind tasting? 🧐 Test your skills in this traditional challenge led by Reeze Choi, ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific 2025! The best sommelier of the region returns for this Vinexpo edition in Hong Kong to guide you through a specially curated line-up of wines, sharing the insights, precision, and tips that helped him reach the very top. 🍇💪

📱 Don’t forget your phone or tablet — answers will be submitted online.

🗓️ 28 May
🕛 14:00
📍 Room N-104-105 Masterclasses
Free entrance: First come, first seated

About Reeze:
🥇 ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Pacific 2025
🥇 2nd Runner-up ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023
🥇 1st Runner-up ASI Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania 2018
🍷 Founder of Somm's Philosophy
Advanced Sommelier Certificate of The Count of Master Sommeliers (CMS), WSET Level Three Award in Wines, WSET educator certificate, candidate of CMS Master Sommelier.

Join us for an unforgettable tasting experience with one of the world’s greatest sommeliers! ✨

@reeze_the_sommbie @vinexposium

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIPartner #ASIPartnerNews #VinexpoAsia2026 #VinexpoHongKong2026#BlindTasting #SommLife #WineProfessionals #WineEducation #Masterclass #ReezeChoi #WineCommunity #WineEvents

🎧A Sommelier's Insight: Taiwan, Tea and Sommellerie with Howard Hsia 🇹🇼

In this episode of A Sommelier's Insight host Mark DeWolf is joinedby Howard Hsia, President of the Taiwan Sommelier Association, for a discussion on the role Taiwan plays within the global sommelier community, the evolution of wine education across Asia, and why Taiwan’s cultural flexibility may offer an important glimpse into the future of sommellerie itself. 🍷

Long known as a crossroads of trade, cuisine and culture, Taiwan has quietly emerged as one of Asia’s most dynamic wine markets. 🤩 But beyond the impressive cellars, luxury dining rooms and passionate collectors lies something deeper, a uniquely Taiwanese perspective on hospitality and sommellerie shaped by layers of cultural influence.🫖

So pour yourself a glass and join us for a conversation about identity, hospitality and the many cultural threads that make Taiwan one of the wineIn this episode, Mark sits down with Howard Hsia, President of the Taiwan Sommelier Association, to explore one of the most fascinating and often overlooked wine cultures in the world: Taiwan.

@taiwansommeliers @kphsia

📺 Do not forget that you can now also watch the episodes on our YouTube channel!
▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZdKdzbODQf0

🎧 Listen on podcast platforms:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/taiwan-tea-and-sommellerie--72083858
🔗 Links in bio to previous episodes! 😉

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASommeliersInsight #Sommelier #Wine #SommelierLife #HospitalityProfessionals #WineEducation

🍇 Happy International Chardonnay Day! ✨🥂

May 21st celebrates the world's most versatile white grape! Created by Rick Bakas in 2009 to boost wine sales post-recession, this day honours the "winemaker's favourite"—a grape born from Pinot Noir x Gouais Blanc. #ChardonnayDay #InternationalChardonnayDay

The Chameleon Grape 🎭 From Burgundy's Mâconnais region (literally "place of thistles"), Chardonnay's superpower is adaptability. It's the ultimate blank canvas—expressing terroir, climate, and winemaking like no other grape. Crisp & mineral or rich & buttery? Both are Chardonnay!

The Two Faces 🍷 Unoaked/Stainless Steel: Crisp acidity, green apple, citrus, mineral (think Chablis) Oaked/MLF: Creamy, buttery, vanilla, toast notes (classic California)

Global Expressions 🌍
🇫🇷 Burgundy: The spiritual home! Chablis (north) = steely minerality, zero oak. Côte de Beaune = balanced richness with elegance. Terroir is everything here.
🇫🇷 Champagne: One of three base grapes; sole grape in Blanc de Blancs!
🇺🇸 California: Revolutionized Chardonnay! After Chateau Montelena's 1973 won the 1976 Judgment of Paris, the world changed. Sonoma Coast & Russian River = Burgundian elegance. Napa = ripe, opulent richness.
🇺🇸 Oregon: Cool-climate precision with bright acidity
🇦🇺 Australia: Margaret River & Adelaide Hills deliver stone fruit intensity with finesse
🇳🇿 New Zealand: Hawke's Bay (the spiritual home of NZ Chard!) = structured, age-worthy. Marlborough = vibrant, citrus-driven
🇿🇦 South Africa: Walker Bay & Elgin = elegant, mineral expressions
🇨🇱 Chile: Casablanca & Limarí = coastal-cooled freshness
🇦🇷 Argentina: Mendoza's high-altitude Chardonnays = crisp acidity, mineral backbone

Iconic Bottles 🏆 • Domaine Leflaive (Burgundy legend) • Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne • William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru • Kistler (Sonoma cult favorite) • Ramey Wine Cellars (California benchmark) • Kongsgaard (unfiltered pioneer) • Kumeu River (NZ's Burgundian master)

Which Chardonnay are you drinking this season? Let us know! 😉

#ASISomms #ChardonnayDay #Chardonnay #Burgundy #Chablis #CaliforniaWine #Sommelier #WineProfessional #WhiteWine #WineEducation 🍷💛

Road to Lisbon: meet your heroes 🤩🔥

Presenting the candidates who will contend for the title this October in Lisbon 🇵🇹

Martin Paryzek 🍷
Representing: Czech Republic 🇨🇿 @czech.sommelier.association
Sommelier & Sales representative at California Wines EU📍Dolní Břežany, Czech Republic @CalifornianWines_eu

Identifies with:Riesling 🍇 International Riesling Day falls on my birthday! 👏

Inspired by: Jakub Přibyl ❤️ One of the top Czech sommeliers, who is definitely one of those who popularized this job in our country 🤩

See you in October 😉

@escancoesdeportugal

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #RoadtoLisbon2026 #ASIBestSommelier2026 #ASIBSW2026 #Portugal #Sommelier #Wine #SommelierContest #SommelierCompetition #SommLife

Wine region: Mexico 🍇🇲🇽

Long before Napa existed, Mexico was making wine. The oldest continuously operating winery in the Americas (Casa Madero, est. 1597) is here.

📍 THE PLACE Baja California dominates (90% of production), particularly Valle de Guadalupe—Mexico's wine heartland. Spanish missionaries planted vines in the 1520s, making this the continent's first wine region. Other emerging zones: Coahuila, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and high-altitude Zacatecas.

🌡️ CLIMATE & TERROIR Valle de Guadalupe sits at 32°N (same latitude as Morocco, San Diego). Mediterranean climate with Pacific influence—morning fog, afternoon sun, cool nights. The magic? Granite and decomposed granite soils, elevation shifts (300-600m), and extreme diurnal variation. Desert heat meets ocean breeze. Coahuila's high desert (1,500m+) produces structured, age-worthy reds with remarkable freshness.

🍇 VARIETIES & STYLES Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, and Grenache thrive in the heat. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Bordeaux blends show concentration and elegance. Whites: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. The exciting stuff? Mission/Criolla (Listán Prieto) revival from historic vines, Rosa del Peru, Palomino for vinos generosos. Mediterranean varieties are the future here.

⚡ NOW Natural wine movement exploding—minimal intervention, skin contact, amphora aging. High-altitude viticulture in Guanajuato and Zacatecas pushing boundaries. Young enólogos trained in Europe returning home. Wine tourism booming in Valle de Guadalupe (150+ wineries). Mexican wine shaking off "tourist curiosity" reputation—these are serious, terroir-driven bottles.

The New World's oldest wine story. Essential study.

Vineyards map: The primary wine-producing regions of Mexico / Illustration by designmaps

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIWineRegion #MexicanWine #Valle​DeGuadalupe #BajaCalifornia #Tempranillo #NaturalWine #TerroirDriven #SommLife #WineEducation #NewWorldWine #LatinAmericanWine

Wine region: Mexico 🍇🇲🇽

Long before Napa existed, Mexico was making wine. The oldest continuously operating winery in the Americas (Casa Madero, est. 1597) is here.

📍 THE PLACE Baja California dominates (90% of production), particularly Valle de Guadalupe—Mexico's wine heartland. Spanish missionaries planted vines in the 1520s, making this the continent's first wine region. Other emerging zones: Coahuila, Querétaro, Guanajuato, and high-altitude Zacatecas.

🌡️ CLIMATE & TERROIR Valle de Guadalupe sits at 32°N (same latitude as Morocco, San Diego). Mediterranean climate with Pacific influence—morning fog, afternoon sun, cool nights. The magic? Granite and decomposed granite soils, elevation shifts (300-600m), and extreme diurnal variation. Desert heat meets ocean breeze. Coahuila's high desert (1,500m+) produces structured, age-worthy reds with remarkable freshness.

🍇 VARIETIES & STYLES Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, and Grenache thrive in the heat. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Bordeaux blends show concentration and elegance. Whites: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc. The exciting stuff? Mission/Criolla (Listán Prieto) revival from historic vines, Rosa del Peru, Palomino for vinos generosos. Mediterranean varieties are the future here.

⚡ NOW Natural wine movement exploding—minimal intervention, skin contact, amphora aging. High-altitude viticulture in Guanajuato and Zacatecas pushing boundaries. Young enólogos trained in Europe returning home. Wine tourism booming in Valle de Guadalupe (150+ wineries). Mexican wine shaking off "tourist curiosity" reputation—these are serious, terroir-driven bottles.

The New World's oldest wine story. Essential study.

Vineyards map: The primary wine-producing regions of Mexico / Illustration by designmaps

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #ASIWineRegion #MexicanWine #Valle​DeGuadalupe #BajaCalifornia #Tempranillo #NaturalWine #TerroirDriven #SommLife #WineEducation #NewWorldWine #LatinAmericanWine

Road to Lisbon: meet your heroes 🤩🔥

Presenting the candidates who will contend for the title this October in Lisbon 🇵🇹

Francesco Di Nola 🍷 @Dhynola
Representing: Luxembourg 🇱🇺 #luxembourgsommelierassociation
Sommelier at Pefferkaer Restaurant📍Bettembourg, Luxembourg

Identifies with:Nebbiolo 🍇 I am a deep, complex person who takes time to understand. 👏

See you in October 😉

@escancoesdeportugal

#ASISomms #ASIBestSomm #RoadtoLisbon2026 #ASIBestSommelier2026 #ASIBSW2026 #Portugal #Sommelier #Wine #SommelierContest #SommelierCompetition #SommLife