The World Has a New Best Sommelier — and He Is Norwegian
Nikolai Haram Svorte, 29, outlasted 65 rivals across five days of blind tasting, service trials and a four-hour grand final in Lisbon to claim the ASI crown — while Pascaline Lepeltier fell just short of breaking the competition's final glass ceiling.
The Final
You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. On the stage of Lisbon's historic Coliseu dos Recreios, before 600 hushed spectators and some 3,000 more watching the livestream, three sommeliers lined up for the 18th edition of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World — a contest last staged in this city in 1978, and never before won by a Norwegian.
Presided over by Andreas Larsson — himself world champion in 2007 — the final ran for more than four hours. Each candidate faced 11 timed stations: a full set-up, table service for four guests, blind tastings of wines and spirits, a deliberately error-strewn wine list to correct (the mistakes planted by artificial intelligence), food-and-wine pairing justifications, and a curveball finale in which the finalists had to identify wineries from their works of art.
Haram Svorte went first and set the bar: technically faultless, though occasionally chased by the clock. Pascaline Lepeltier — arguably the favourite, and far more at ease on stage than in Paris 2023 — respected every time limit but surrendered precious points on a blind tasting. Last to go, Japan's Wataru Iwata started brightly until a decanted vintage Port threw sediment and forced him to restart twice, denting his confidence.
When the envelope opened, Norway had its first world champion.
Final Rankings
Haram Svorte takes the title from Latvia's Raimonds Tomsons, champion in Paris 2023 — where Lepeltier placed fourth and Iwata fifth. Both returned to climb the podium in Lisbon.
The Winner
At 29, Haram Svorte is a serial competitor: Norway's national champion four years running, Best Sommelier of the Nordics in 2025, and former head sommelier at Michelin-starred Speilsalen in Trondheim. He now works as a Champagne specialist for Norwegian importer Moestue.
"I have had massive struggles with anxiety related to these competitions, so I guess exposure therapy has been good. I have been going to a psychologist and also doing lots of training. I just try to numb my feelings and follow the logic."— Nikolai Haram Svorte, speaking after the result
The Almost-Champion
For Lepeltier — beverage director at Chambers in New York — Lisbon was history rhyming: second place again after her runner-up finish at the 2024 European contest in Belgrade. She was sanguine in defeat, and pointed: "I'm an itchy girl, so I am going to come back."
"Nobody died, it was a beautiful night, and we have a fantastic winner. At the end of the day we are here to bring joy; we are very lucky to be sommeliers, as there are terrible things happening in the world."— Pascaline Lepeltier, runner-up
The Glass Ceiling Cracks — Again
The 2026 edition made history before the final even began. From 66 candidates in the quarter-finals, five women reached the semi-finals for the first time in the competition's 57-year history — a full quarter of the last 20:
Pascaline Lepeltier (France, finalist) · Maria Boumpa (United Kingdom) · Anke Carmen Hartmann (Ireland) · Iwona Papathoma (Cyprus) · Yi Ying Yong (Malaysia)
ASI president William Wouters, who has said he hopes to see a female world champion during his tenure, noted afterwards: "I have never seen quality so high in the semi-finals." The UK's Maria Boumpa — wine director at London's Da Terra, making her international debut — impressed most, finishing an outstanding eighth in the semi-final rankings, ahead of several established names.
All 20 Semi-Finalists
Finalist · Champion
Finalist · 2ndWoman
Finalist · 3rdASI Dip. Gold
8thWomanASI Dip. Gold
How the Week Unfolded
66 candidates from around the world sit theory papers and face blind-tasting and service assessments. 20 advance — a record five of them women.
A marathon day beginning at 8:45 a.m.: a multiple-choice theory exam, then practical stations — identifying three wines and their methods of production, a classic organoleptic description, four blind drinks to identify and pair, and a four-guest white wine table service. A very 2026 twist: candidates field jury questions on alcohol in wine, asked to defend the culture of wine or propose alternatives.
Three finalists, 11 stations, four-plus hours, 600 spectators in the Coliseu and 3,000 online. Nikolai Haram Svorte is crowned ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026.
