SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR
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Our shortlisted Sommelier of the Year candidates are all dedicated to their outlets and the profession as a whole, making it a priority to stay up-to-date with current wine trends and customer preferences across the globe.
These candidates all display the ability to pair appropriate wines with food, but can go that step further as well — being approachable and helpful to customers, happy to assist with wine selections and offer recommendations (and up-selling) when appropriate; demonstrating good business sense through building strong relationships with suppliers and sourcing new wines for best prices; and successfully devising and executing wine-related promotions in their outlet.
Selecting a few top performers from the incredibly impressive submissions received was no easy task, but finally it came down to three outstanding nominees…
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• Ritwik Shastri, The Exchange Floor, Fairmont Dubai
Ritwik’s dedication to — and enjoyment of — his role was particularly praised in this nomination, which included glowing testimonials from colleagues and supervisors alike.
His success in the property’s Penfolds competition this year, along with his involvement in implementing wine masterclasses for his colleagues, made Ritwik stand out from the masses.
• Nicolas Vallet, The Palace — The Old Town
This submission highlighted Nicholas’ wide-spread talents, ranging from careful sourcing and building solid supplier relationships to innovative promotions and staff training schemes.
His efforts to personalise the wine experience for guests was particularly impressive.
• Julien Coron, Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire, InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City
Taking the pressures that come with working in a top fine-dining establishment in his stride, Julien has demonstrated unflappable good humour and passion for his role, attributes which have inspired his staff.
His commitment to sourcing rare vintages to perfectly match the menu was cited as a major contributor to guest satisfaction.
Read on to see who made it onto the Mixologist of the Year shortlist…
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Nov 8, 2009 , United Arab Emirates
Both, Chanaka and Falil would deserve this awards due to their outstanding skills in the craft of making cocktails. Falil behind the first and one and only true mixology trolley in town and Chanka for making finest drinks in town. Falil entered the World Class Dubai Final by winning 3 in house co...