Vincenzo Arnese named Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year 2022

Vincenzo Arnese has been crowned Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year 2022 after a closely fought final at the Savoy hotel in London.

The head sommelier at Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester beat 2022 runner-up Agnieszka Swiecka of the Five Fields restaurant and 2019 runner-up Gareth Ferreira of Core by Clare Smyth.

Commenting on his win, Arnese said: “I feel good, less stressed than before – amazing. It’s been a great afternoon.”

He impressed the judges with his knowledge as well as his ability to garner a large stage presence, confidently dropping jokes about cigars during his role-play task.

He added: “[The whole process was] very long, very intense but also enjoyable. I think I met a lot of people and it was very good. I think I was cheering up myself and all the others.”

Following the London regional heats held in April, 11 sommeliers were invited to compete in the finals day this morning.

A further process of elimination in the afternoon led to three candidates being selected to participate in the live element of the competition in the Lancaster Ballroom, which was hosted by Nicolas Clerc, president of the UK Sommelier Academy.

The final three were required to identify errors on a wine list, undergo blind tasting tests of wines and spirits, offer food pairing options, and serve in a bar and restaurant scenario.

The most dramatic task involved carefully pouring a magnum of Taittinger Rosé between 19 identical glasses in front of more than 150 spectators in six minutes.

Speaking about the competition, Kevin McKee, UK director at Champagne Taittinger, said: “Watching the Finals of the UK Sommelier of the Year is a masterclass in what it means to be obsessive about a career. The knowledge these sommeliers have to hand is quite astonishing and their skills for example in identifying wines from around the world is simply crazy.

“The Taittinger family are equally passionate and obsessive about quality, demanding that every bottle must always be the best it can so we see this as a natural association of like-minded devotees.

“A good sommelier is the guests’ guide to a world of unknown vinous pleasures and as such we should encourage their continued striving for perfection at every opportunity.”

“All of us at Champagne Taittinger are delighted to continue our partnership and by doing so support the long-term future of a vibrant and successful UK hospitality environment.

"A big congratulations to Vincenzo Arnese, and, in fact, to all the finalists, who all deserve credit for the commitment and excellence they have shown.”

The Taittinger UK Sommelier of the Year 2022 is organised by The Caterer in partnership with the UK Sommelier Academy and recognised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.

Katherine Larsen MS was the head judge, joined by Claire Thevenot MS, Laura Rhys MS, Eric Zweibel MS and Matt Wilkins MS.

The UK Sommelier of the Year competition has continued its search for the best wine waiter or sommelier since it first launched in 1980.

In that time, it has recognised some of the UK’s most prominent sommeliers, including Gerard Basset, Ronan Sayburn, Gearoid Devaney and Xavier Rousset.

This year’s competition was sponsored by headline sponsor Taittinger, as well as Berkmann Wine Cellars, Meiko, Reidel and FM&V.

The 2022 finalists

• Vincenzo Arnese, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
• Stefano Barbarino, Coravin Wine & Bubbles Bar
• Melania Battiston, Medlar
• Biagio Castaldo, Maison Estelle
• Emma Denney, The Clove Club
• Gareth Ferreira, Core by Clare Smyth
• Philipp Reinstaller, Trivet
• Agnieszka Swiecka, The Five Fields Restaurant
• Lorenzo Tonelli, Maison Estelle
• Dion Wai, 67 Pall Mall
• Elvis Ziakos, TILA

Image Credit: James Gifford-Mead