The final of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 took place in Lisbon, Portugal, on October 16th, with Nikolai Haram Svorte of Norway winning the crown.

The American contestant, Master Sommelier Mark Guillaudeu, also shone brightly, earning one of just 20 spots in the semifinals, which took place the day before the final. Overall, he took 9th place out of a 66-strong international cohort, placing him among the highest-performing, world-class sommeliers worldwide.

The closed-door semi-final took place the day before the final, and focused on a combination of mastery and service agility. To advance to the final, contestants undertook three grueling categories under strenuous time pressure. First, there was an advanced written exam that tested knowledge of international wine laws, viticulture, and sake geography in a second language (French for Guillaudeu).. Secondly, there was a round of rapid-fire blind tastings and correction of a "faulty" wine list. The final section was a practical service segment where candidates had to engage with demanding restaurant guests, intricate decanting tasks, and beverage pairing adjustments.

Guillaudeu is a member of the Court of Master Sommeliers. His hospitality career began towards the end of graduate school, where he was studying Tibetan Buddhism. After moving to San Francisco, he joined a Michelin-star restaurant and began building a name for himself as a standout sommelier among American wine professionals.

In 2016, he earned his WSET Diploma and, that same year, he entered the Master of Wine program. He ultimately won the title of Best Sommelier USA in 2022. A year later, Guillaudeu represented the United States at the Concours Mondial in Paris, becoming the first American to reach the semi-finals. Later that year, he gained the prestigious Master Sommelier Diploma. Today, Guillaudeu is sommelier at celebrated Michelin-star New York restaurant, Eleven Madison Park.

Norwegian Nikolai Haram Svorte of Norway came away with the overall ASI sommelier competition title. The 29-year-old emerged as the victor from a final three that included France’s Pascaline Lepeltier, who was runner-up, and Japan’s Wataru Iwata, who came third.

The 18th edition of the triennial competition drew more than 600 live spectators in Lisbon, with a further 3,000 viewers watching the final via livestream.

In the 18th edition of the highly-respected contest, the finalists faced a series of challenges to their expertise devised to test the breadth and depth of their knowledge, performance under pressure, and the ability to offer outstanding hospitality. Tasks encompassed blind tasting of wines and spirits, wine service in bar and restaurant settings, food and wine pairing suggestions, and the correction of a wine list containing intentional errors.

These qualities are key to sommellerie in the 21st century. At a time when oenophiles are more knowledgeable about wine than they have ever been, the profession now goes beyond identifying wines or displaying encyclopedic facts and figures. Today, the finest sommeliers must translate their expertise into authentic, memorable experiences for guests, guiding their wine discovery and understanding the story behind each label.

Speaking to Westgarth Wines ahead of the contest, ASI President William Wouters emphasized the importance of storytelling in the profession.

“Telling the story of a wine is more than just flavors and structure. Sommeliers need to be nuanced storytellers, capable of describing time, place, and people,” he said.

With a plethora of information available at their fingertips, the modern customer is usually well informed about grape varieties, wine regions, and winemaking techniques. The sommelier's contribution lies in:

• Enhancing that knowledge
• Providing context
• Making thoughtful recommendations
• Deepening diners' experience of what’s in their glass

Following the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 in Portugal, Guillaudeu will share highlights of his experience as a contestant at the 6th annual Best USA Sommelier Association (BUSA) Foundation Benefit. The charitable event raises funds for education across the profession. It will take place at Hermann Farm in Missouri.

Want to read more? Take a look at some of our other blogs:

• • How to be a world-class sommelier
  • Expert view: World-leading sommelier on the future of wine
  • Five top wine societies