Vinícius Santiago is the winner of the title disputed between six finalists who were present in the Alentejo region in November for the already emblematic competition.

The Alentejo Regional Wine Commission (CVRA) has just chosen the winner of the 10th edition of the “Alentejo 2023 Best Sommelier Competition”, an already emblematic competition in the region that chooses the person who will be responsible for bringing Alentejo knowledge and flavors to the largest export market, Brazil. Vinícius Santiago was highlighted as the winner of the competition, whose title was contested by six finalists.

The panel of judges – composed of João Geirinhas, president of the jury, partner and director of Grandes Escolhas magazine; Marc Pinto, wine director at Fifty Seconds Martin Berasategui; Ivo Peralta, sommelier at Jncquoi Club; Tiago Caravana, Marketing Director at CVRA; and Domingos Meirelles, director of Exponor Brasil – elected Vinícius Santiago, as the Best Sommelier Vinhos do Alentejo in Brazil for his excellence in the practical service test, for his knowledge of the wine region and for the way in which he was able to convey this knowledge in this test, crossing information in an interesting and creative way.

The finalists were in Alentejo last week, from November 20th to 24th, they were selected after going through the selection phases and practical tests. The competition had more than 60 entries who were asked various questions about the Alentejo, its wines and culture, and of these, only 21 experts continued to the practical tests that took place in June, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

The finalists in this edition included sommeliers Bruno Margulhano, representative of Florence Vinhos; Diego Arrebola, partner and ambassador of the Ary wine brand and two-time winner of the title of “Best Sommelier in Brazil” by the Brazilian Association of Sommeliers; Marcus Vinicius Medrazi, professor of international certifications (IWC and AWC) at ISG and founding partner of THEU Vinho; Pedro Barcellos, professor at ABS-RJ and sommelier at Bazzar à Vins; Vinícius Conde, state director of the Sommelier School; and Vinícius Santiago, professor at ABS-RJ, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and Eno Cultura and sommelier at Víssimo Group.

Remember that this is an initiative aimed at the largest export market for Alentejo wines, with the signature of the CVRA, with a view to strengthening the relationship between Alentejo and Brazil, the country to which Alentejo wines are exported, until June 2023 , 7% more in value and 10% in volume, compared to the same period last year, representing 16.5 million euros and 4.7 million liters.