The University of Cervera will be the stage, Monday 26 February, of this professional competition organized by the Catalan Association of Sommeliers, with sessions in the morning and the final in the afternoon, them 16 hours, open to the public at the Paranimf.
The Catalan Association of Sommeliers (ACS) it also celebrates the traditional Sommelier Night that day, that will take place al Restaurant Els Comdals de Vergós.
For the organization of events, in this edition the ACS has the col·support of the Town Council of Cervera, the Board of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Lleida and the Designation of Origin Costers del Segre.
The vice-president for Lleida of the ACS, Xavier Navarro; the deputy and vice-president of the Board of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Lleida, Jordi Verdú; and the tourism councilor of La Paeria de Cervera, Judit Guim, they presented the event in a press conference that took place on Thursday 8 February, in the Painting Room of the Paeria de Cervera.
The Councilor for Tourism, Judit Guim, ha “celebrated that the Catalan sommeliers have chosen Cervera for the celebration of this competition". He trusts that "it will be a good opportunity to make Cervera's heritage and tourist resources known to professional sommeliers. A collar·very strategic group in the prescription of experiences linked to wine and wine tourism".
For his part, Jordi Verdú explained that “this professional meeting will help to publicize the wines of the DO Costers del Segre and the quality agri-food products produced in the Terres de Lleida”.
Finally, Xavier Navarro thanked "the col·institutional collaboration of the Paeria de Cervera and the Board of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Lleida. We are convinced that holding this competition in Terres de Lleida will serve to promote the wines of the DO Costers del Segre, since it is a meeting that brings together sommeliers from all over the country”.
During the Sommelier Night dinner, the work of the professionals will be recognized, of wineries and pioneering initiatives in the world of wine, and will end by announcing the name of the Best Sommelier in Catalonia 2024.
Competition in two phases
The competition will take place in two phases, morning and afternoon. In a first semi-final, from the 10 hours in one of the classrooms of the University of Cervera, all participants will face two tests. a written, and another practice that will consist of the commented tasting of three drinks, two wines and a third product that they must identify. As for the wines, one of these will have to be commented on in a foreign language. In this morning elimination phase the technical committee will select the three best contestants, which will be the ones that will happen at the end of the afternoon.
From the 16 hours, at the Paranimf of the University of Cervera, the final tests will begin in front of all colleagues and the attending public. This practical final will feature a surprise test, proof of service, tasting and identification of products, correction of an erroneous letter, order taking and pairing, decantation, style. The professional jury that evaluates the tests will be made up of professional sommeliers and former winners of the competition.
The final will be open to the public and will also be broadcast live on local television stations in Catalonia.
With this contest, the ACS aims to develop and promote knowledge of the profession, the knowledge of wines and gastronomic products from all over the world, as well as strengthen bonds, friendship and col·collaboration between wine professionals.
Dinner and Sommelier Night
all of them so significant to this genre of artistic song, the Els Comdals restaurant will host Sommelier Night with a sample and tasting of DO Costers del Segre wines and a Pairing Dinner with km0 products and prepared by eighteen hands by nine chefs from Lleida. The participating restaurateurs will be Jesús Gimena (The Spark of Lleida), Sergi Ortiz (Old Brewery Oven), Francis Molins (Call Xirricló de Balaguer), Ignasi Bustamante and Adrián Zahino (The Celler Montsonís), Angel Segura (The Comdals of Cervera), Albert Marimón (The Tàrrega Quarry), Sergi Aritzeta (The Trick of Agramunt), Gonzalo Ferreruela (Ferreruela, Lleida), Juanjo Ceresuela (Nobadis de Cervera).
Premis ACS
During the evening, and before announcing who will be the Best Sommelier in Catalonia 2024, The ACS will also present and deliver the Awards that are chosen each year by vote of the members of the organization. These awards are the Trajectory Award; Best communicator, Best Initiative in the world of wine, Best wine tourism offer, and Best room.