Regional winners for UK sommelier of the year announced

The three top sommeliers from the semi-finals, being held on April 29 at London's famed Tate Modern, will then battle it out for the ultimate accolade in the final later that day. The regional winners for 2009 are: Joris Beijn, head sommelier, Andaz Hotel, London Ross Buchanan, head sommelier, Malmaison, Glasgow Alexandre Ceret, assistant head sommelier, Greenhouse Restaurant, London Garry Clark, sommelier, Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Chester Remi Cousin, assistant head sommelier, Fat Duck, Bray Christopher Delalonde, head sommelier, The Square, London Bavand Foroughi, sommelier, Lowry Hotel, Manchester Alvaro Marcos Garcia, head sommelier, Theo Randall Restaurant, Intercontinental Park Lane, London Franck Gérôme, sommelier, Sharrow Bay, Penrith Yohann Jousselin, head sommelier, Hotel du Vin, Winchester Jan Konetzki, sommelier, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London Thomas Lamude, sommelier, Milestone Hotel, London Laura Rhys, head sommelier, Hotel Terravina, Southampton Clement Robert, head sommelier, Hotel du Vin, Cambridge Gerhard Steyn, regional F&B manager, Malmaison, Cheltenham Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck's award-winning wine maker Regis Camus will be flying over to London from Reims to host a private master class for all the Regional finalists on 9th March. At the semi-finals in April the sommeliers will complete a written questionnaire and wine tasting as well as answer a marketing-based question in front of a panel of judges to demonstrate their business acumen and ability to work and think as part of a team. From this, three sommeliers will win a place in the final the same day, held on a stage in front of an invited audience of 150 people. The stage for the final will be set-up like a restaurant, complete with difficult customers and challenging staff. Each of the sommeliers will demonstrate their ability to deal with customers, their knowledge of the wine and drinks business and their management skills. They will then complete a blind tasting and the Champagne pour, where a magnum of Champagne Piper Heidsieck Cuvée Brut has to be completely poured into 16 flutes without returning to any of the glasses. The crowning of UK Sommelier of the Year 2009 will be announced during a celebratory dinner that evening upstairs at Tate Modern where guests will enjoy a special menu designed to complement nine champagnes from Piper-Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck including the newest releases available in the UK: Charles Heidsieck Rosé Réserve, Charles Heidsieck Brut Vintage 2000 and the absolutely stunning Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1999. The judging panel is headed by the Academy's Technical Director Gerard Basset MW, MS, owner of Hotel TerraVina in Hampshire and includes Master Sommelier, Matt Wilkin and Tom Parker-Bowles. Last year's UK Sommelier of the Year was Gearoid Devaney, head sommelier at Tom Aikens in London.