On the evening of 16 October, inside the Coliseu dos Recreios, a theatre more than a century old in the heart of Lisbon, three sommeliers stepped onto the stage for the final challenge after nearly a week of competition.
By the end of the evening, the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 trophy belonged to Nikolai Haram Svorte of Norway. Pascaline Lepeltier of France finished second, while Wataru Iwata of Japan took third place. It was also Svorte’s first appearance at the world competition.
Behind those final three names were 66 sommeliers representing ASI member associations from around the world. And among them, the Vietnamese flag appeared for the second time.
(Image credit: Association de la Sommellerie Internationale)
From 66 sommeliers to the final three
The ASI Best Sommelier of the World is held every three years and is one of the most important competitions in the sommelier profession.
It is far more than a test of who can recall the most wine knowledge. Competitors are required to demonstrate their tasting ability, knowledge across a wide range of beverage categories, service skills, and their ability to handle professional scenarios under time pressure.
From the 66 contestants in Lisbon, 20 sommeliers advanced to the semi-final before the competition was narrowed down to three finalists.
Nikolai Haram Svorte arrived in Lisbon with four consecutive Norwegian Sommelier Championship titles from 2023 to 2026, along with the Nordic Sommelier 2025 title. His victory sees him succeed Raimonds Tomsons of Latvia, the 2023 world champion.
This year’s competition also marked the first participation of representatives from India, Kenya, Lebanon and Moldova, adding new names to an increasingly international sommelier community.
Vietnam makes its second appearance at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World
Three years earlier in Paris, Lê Hoàng Khánh Vi became Vietnam’s first representative at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2023. Her name appeared on ASI’s official candidate list alongside 67 other sommeliers representing 65 countries.
In 2026, Vũ Đức Linh continued that journey.
He is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Sommelier Association and holds professional qualifications including DipWSET, ASI Diploma, Certified Sommelier and FWS.
In Lisbon, Vũ Đức Linh’s journey ended after the quarter-final round, when his name did not appear among the 20 sommeliers advancing to the semi-final.
The result did not take Vietnam into the next round. Still, seeing more talented Vietnamese sommeliers emerge and the country continue to be represented at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World remains an encouraging sign. We hope to see Vietnamese sommeliers continue to learn, compete and build a stronger presence on the international stage.
