In the 8th edition of the competition “The Wines of Alentejo Best Sommelier in Brazil”, Juliana Carani was the winner of this initiative, which aims to train specialists in Alentejo wine in the main export market in the region.

The Alentejo Regional Winegrowing Commission (CVRA) carried out, for the eighth consecutive year, the competition “The Best Sommelier of Alentejo Wines in Brazil”, an initiative aimed at the largest export market for Alentejo wines. This year, the winner of the initiative, which aims to form true ambassadors of Alentejo wine in Brazil, was Juliana Carani, one of the great names of the new generation of sommeliers in São Paulo.

According to the judges – Francisco Mateus, president of CVRA, Rodolfo Tristão, sommelier, and Alexandre Lalas, journalist and member of the tasting panel of Revista de Vinhos and editor of Gula magazine –, Juliana Carani stood out for her acquired knowledge about the region and its tradition of wine production, grape varieties and terroirs. The winner thanked the distinction and promised to take Alentejo Wines across borders.

Francisco Mateus, president of CVRA, explains that this is the market of choice for this type of action: “The Brazilian market already knows and appreciates Alentejo wines, but often has no idea of ​​the variety and diversity that the Alentejo has, from terroir, to grape varieties, and through winemaking techniques. Therefore, this is exactly what this initiative is intended to do: to train specialists who can promote the best that is done in Alentejo”. Only 10 sommeliers were selected for the semifinals of the initiative and only five had the opportunity to win the title, which was announced last Friday, November 12th, after a practical and a theoretical test, both held in Alentejo.