The New Zealand Sommeliers & Wine Professionals Association is proud to announce that Auckland-based sommelier Andrea Martinisi will represent New Zealand at the 2026 ASI Best Sommelier of the World Competition in Lisbon, Portugal.
The competition will attract sommeliers from 65 member countries and is held from 12 – 17 October 2026.
“Being selected to represent the New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals at the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 is both an honour and a responsibility. It’s a chance to test myself at the highest international level of sommellerie and really see what I can achieve and where I rank.”
“My preparation will be rigorous. Studying wine regions from around world, regular blind tastings of international wines, developing my own personal set of wine world flashcards and working on my practical service performance under pressure.
I also must keep up to date with what is happening globally in wine as this also forms part of the overall assessment. My personal goal is to arrive in Portugal well-prepared and to give it my best shot!’
Originally from Italy, Andrea has competed internationally since 2019 and represented New Zealand in Japan, Belgium and France. Andrea is also the winner of the New Zealand Sommelier of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Andrea worked as Group Beverage Director for The Grove and Baduzzi and now in many is head sommelier at Normanby Fine Wines & Spirits, Auckland.
In March, New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals’ competition sub-committee of Cameron Douglas MS, Cashias Gumbo and Celia Hay, set up a series of theory and practical assessments to select the candidate for the ASI World Best Sommelier Competition.
New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals will be hosting a series of fundraising events to support Andrea and the costs of attending this competition in Portugal.
Media Contact: Celia Hay, President, New Zealand Sommeliers & Wine Professionals Association