Welcome to
Association de la Sommellerie Internationale
The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale is the world’s preeminent global advocate for the needs of the modern sommelier.
Since 1969
About ASI //
“ASI was a little bit like the European Union in the beginning, today it is more like the United Nations.”-Markus Del Monego (ASI Best Sommelier of the World 1998)
Agenda
Members
ASI Mag
All the issues of ASI’s own digital magazine
Agenda EN
2026
- ASI Diploma Exam, 9th March 2026.
- ASI General Assembly, 18 – 22 May 2026, Taipei, Taiwan
- ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World, 11 – 17 October 2026. Lisbon, Portugal
- ASI Bootcamp Americas, 21-24 July 2026, Sao Paulo, Brazil
To come 2027 TBC
News & Events
Check out the latest ASI news, as well as updates in the world of sommellerie!
Pairing Tuesday 🍴🍷
Uruguay 🇺🇾🍇
🥩 ASADO & TANNAT RESERVA Grass-fed beef grilled over charcoal with this elegant, peppery Tannat is transcendent. The wine's refined tannins—not rustic, not jammy—respect the meat's quality, peppery spice mirrors the char, and Atlantic-moderated acidity prevents heaviness. Uruguayan perfection.
🥙 CHIVITO & MERLOT This iconic steak sandwich (lomo, bacon, mozzarella, tomato) demands Canelones Merlot's soft structure and red fruit. The wine's body handles the richness without overpower, subtle tannins respect the beef's quality, and moderate alcohol keeps palate fresh. National dish, national wine—harmony.
🦑 CALAMARES A LA PLANCHA & SAUVIGNON BLANC Pan-seared squid with garlic and lemon meets Atlantic Sauvignon Blanc's herbaceous minerality. The wine's crisp acidity cuts through the squid's slight chewiness, citrus notes echo the lemon, and salinity mirrors the ocean ingredient. Coastal perfection.
🐟 FRESH SEA BASS & CHARDONNAY Whole grilled fish with olive oil and sea salt paired with unoaked Uruguayan Chardonnay creates elegance. The wine's subtle stone fruit complements delicate flesh, mineral backbone adds complexity, and restrained oak won't overpower. Simple food, sophisticated wine.
🧀 MILANESA DE CARNE & PINOT NOIR Breaded, pan-fried thin-cut beef with fresh tomato salad and Pinot Noir shows subtle synergy. Light tannins respect the delicate preparation, red fruit brightens the acidity, and elegant structure honors the ingredient quality. Uruguayan home cooking elevated.
🥒 MEDIA LUNA & ROSÉ Croissant with breakfast or afternoon tea paired with chilled Uruguayan Rosé. The wine's subtle fruit and acidity complement butter and jam, lower alcohol suits daytime drinking, and Atlantic freshness refreshes. Cultural moment perfected.
🧉 MATE remains the soul beverage - but wine's sophistication is rising!
Pampas to plate, Atlantic to glass.
#ASISomms #ASIPairingTuesday #UruguayanWine #Tannat #Asado #FoodAndWinePairing #Canelones #Merlot #AtlanticCuisine #SommLife #TerroirToTable #SouthAmericanWine
Road to Lisbon: meet your heroes 🤩🔥
Presenting the candidates who will contend for the title this October in Lisbon 🇵🇹
Soraiya Hi Jo Ladak🍷 @Siphappens_somm
Representing: Kenya 🇰🇪 @kenyasommeliers
ASI Diploma Bronze 🥉
Managing Director and Head Sommelier at the Wine Shop, also importer and distributor 📍Nairobi, Kenya @Thewineshopkenya
Identifies with: Bordeaux blend 🍇 I like to combine my different strengths to be comped and balanced and someone who developed well over time. 👏
Inspired by: Emerging Kenyan sommeliers 🤩
See you in October 😉
@escancoesdeportugal
#asisomms #asibestsomm #roadtolisbon2026 #ASIBestSommelier2026 #asibsw2026 #portugal #sommelier #wine #sommeliercontest #sommeliercompetition #sommlife
Wine region: Uruguay 🍇🇺🇾
📍Despite being a small country nestled between two South American giants, Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay has been producing wine for more than 150 years. As in many New World wine countries, immigration shaped its wine identity: European settlers brought vine varieties, knowledge, and winemaking traditions that found a new home in Uruguay.🇺🇾
Today, most of the country's vineyards are concentrated in Canelones and Montevideo, yet viticulture extends across several distinct wine regions. Within just a few hundred kilometres, Uruguay transitions from the Atlantic influence of Maldonado and Rocha, where ocean breezes slow ripening and preserve freshness, to the sedimentary landscapes of the south, the river-influenced southwest, and the iron-rich sandy soils of Rivera in the north. Rather than dramatic altitude, Uruguay's diversity comes from subtle differences in topography, soils, exposure, and the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the Río de la Plata, and the Río Uruguay.🤩
🍇Uruguay's wine history is inseparable from Tannat. Introduced and championed by Basque immigrant Pascual Harriague in Salto during the 19th century, the variety became so closely associated with him that it was long known locally as Harriague. Today, Tannat is produced in a wide range of styles, from vibrant, youthful wines to complex, age-worthy expressions.🍷
🍇Among white varieties, Albariño has become one of Uruguay's fastest-growing grapes and one of its strongest international ambassadors, now planted on nearly the same number of hectares as Sauvignon Blanc. Alongside Albariño, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir demonstrate the remarkable diversity of contemporary Uruguayan wine.👏
Special thanks to our ASI Bootcamp 2026 participant Karen Fabregat @confesiones_de_una_millennial from Uruguay for compiling the information and few other several resources about her home country: INAVI (national institute for maps and regions/varieties,) Radio Tannat podcast by Martín Viggiano, Fogón – Familia Deicas channel on YouTube, Tim Atkin MW – 2025 Uruguay Special Report, Amanda Barnes MW – South America Wine Guide, Bodegas del Uruguay, and, of course, the Sommelier Association of Uruguay! @sommelieruruguay
#ASISomms #ASIWineRegion #UruguayanWine #Tannat #Canelones #AtlanticWine #SouthAmericanWine #SommLife #WineEducation
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