BEST SOMMELIER UK 2026 REGISTRATION FORM

The Best UK Sommelier 2026 – Villa Sandi Award is designed to pay homage to the style, elegance, and skill of this passion-driven profession. It aims to celebrate wine professionals within the hospitality industry and their crucial role in the business. The competition is structured as follows:

The first session, starting at 10:00 am, involves a written exam, blind wine tasting, and wine and food pairing, supervised by members of the UK Sommelier Association and AIS. From this round, three semi-finalists will be selected.

In the afternoon, from 3:30 pm, the semi-finalists will demonstrate their service skills on stage, attending to role-playing guests made up of sommeliers, former champions, wine buyers, and journalists, seated as if dining in a restaurant. Judging the performances will be Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers, journalists, wine experts, and AIS board members.

The winner will receive a £1,000 prize offered by UKSA and a trip to visit the Villa Sandi Estate. The first and second runners-up will each receive £250.

Competition venue: The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple - Temple London

PLEASE NOTE, YOU DON’T NEED TO BE CURRENTLY WORKING IN HOSPITALITY TO ENTER, BUT YOU MUST HAVE SERVICE EXPERIENCE AND A WINE QUALIFICATION ON YOUR CV.

PLEASE FILL THE FORM BELOW AND SEND YOUR CV TO INFO@UKSOMMELIERASSOCIATION.COM