SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
30 March 2005 by Joanna Wood
Matthew Wilkin of London's Capital hotel has been crowned Champagne Ruinart Sommelier of the Year 2005 at his fourth attempt. Wilkin fought through a 15-contender semifinal round before triumphing in the final held on the same day last week in London, at the Hilton Park Lane hotel. Also making it into the final trio were Claire Thevenot of Hotel du Vin in Winchester and Nicholas Clerc of Summer Lodge hotel at Evershot in Dorset. Among the series of skills the finalists had to display were pouring 12 glasses of Champagne equally and without topping up (see picture), a blind spirit tasting, cigar service, and food-and-wine matching.
