The first World's Best Sommeliers' Selection has been revealed, a list compiled by some of the best sommeliers from the World’s 50 Best Restaurants who, after a lengthy tasting process, have selected some of the best labels worldwide. Out of approximately 130 references, 16 are Italian, which, along with the United States, ranks second in the list of countries with the most selected labels, just after France with 17 labels.
The new project
The tasting, presided over by an international jury of expert sommeliers, began on January 16, and thirty sommeliers from around the world traveled to the United Kingdom to participate in the first edition of William Reed's new idea, the name behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants and World's Best Vineyards. Representing four continents and 16 countries, the sommeliers invited to be part of the jury are from the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants.
The international tasting panel was led by Josep Roca, sommelier of the three-Michelin-starred restaurant "El Celler de Can Roca," and tasted wines presented by producers from around the world to make a final selection. Another pride for Italy is to see several Italian sommeliers among the jury members. Professionals working on the national soil such as Jacopo Dosio (Piazza Duomo in Alba), Ivano Coppari (Uliassi Restaurant), Matteo Bernardi (Le Calandre in Rubano), and Gianni Sinesi (Reale in Castel di Sangro) participated in the panel, as well as Italian sommeliers working abroad like Lorenzo Lentini (Ikoyi in London) and Agnese Morandi (Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris).
Italian labels
Among the Italian references, Piedmont is in the lead with three Barolos and one Barbaresco: Barolo Cannubi 1982 and 2018 from Marchesi di Barolo, Barolo Bricco Rocche 2019, and Barbaresco Asili 2020 from Ceretto. Following this, five regions are featured on the list with two references each. Tuscany with an IGT based on international and Sangiovese grapes, La Caccia Toscana Rosso 2020 from La Caccia di San Giovanni, and the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Poggio Rosso 2019 from San Felice.
Emilia-Romagna showcases wines aged underwater from the Tenuta del Paguro estate: the Metodo Classico Mare Urchin 2012 and the Romagna Albana Squilla Mantis 2015, while the Sicilian winery Donnafugata sees its Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé 2013 and the Sicilia Rosso Mille e una Notte 2019.
Moving to Veneto, we find the sparkling wine Grave di Stecca 2017 based on Glera grapes from the homonymous vineyard of Nino Franco winery, along with the Lison Classico 2019 from Villa Bogdano. Also for Trentino, a sparkling wine and a still wine: the Trentodoc Perlè 2018 from Ferrari and the Granato ’19 from Foradori. Finally, Umbria and Friuli enter the selection with a single label: the Montefalco Sagrantino Carapace Lunga Attesa 2015 from Tenute Lunelli and the Pinot Grigio Salvadi 2020 from Scarbolo.
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