David Biraud, The Crillon, Paris, wins the Peter Lehmann Shiraz Sommelier Award within the frame of the ASI Contest of the Best Sommelier of Europe 2010

Filed under News, Events on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

Head-sommelier of Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, David Biraud, won the Peter Lehmann Shiraz Sommelier Award, held on the 2lst of November at the fabulous Royal Palace of Kirrwiller.

The Peter Lehmann Shiraz Sommelier Award, now a classic in ASI competitions, took place,in Alsace, France, on the occasion of the 12th Contest of the Best Sommelier of Europe organized in Alsace by ASI, Association de la Sommellerie Internationale and UDSF, Union de la Sommellerie Française.

The 35 candidates, from different European countries, had to answer a questionnaire about shiraz, imagine courses to match different shiraz wines selected for a Peter Lehmann presentation dinner. For the blind tasting of a shiraz wine, they had to comment the Pago Garduna 2006 from Abadia Retuerta, Ribera del Duero, Spain. In the former contests, shiraz wines from South Africa, France, Chile and Italy had been tasted. A good way of showing the worldwide importance of this wonderful grape variety.

Upon receiving this Peter Lehmann Wines Shiraz Sommelier Award, David Biraud said : “ I actually discovered the shiraz wines from the New World and specially Australia a few years ago when you organized the Peter Lehmann 25 years tasting in Paris. It did start there ! And since then, I have been dreaming of going to Australia… I am so happy to have won this competition ! “

As the winner of the Award, David Biraud will be recognized as the ambassador for Peter Lehmann Wines in Europe during the next three years, until the next European Contest, and he will travel to Australia as a guest of Peter Lehmann Wines to allow him to further study the shiraz grape. He was offered by Hans Aström, vice-president of PLW and president of Hess Family Estates Europe, a double magnum of PLW Futures Shiraz. “Futures, a name that perfectly sticks to our policy with the young sommeliers, because they are our future…”

Created in co-operation with the ASI, the Award aims to further knowledge, awareness and appreciation of Shiraz as one of the world’s classic red wine varieties. Shinya Tasaki, Best Sommelier of the World in 1995 and newly elected president of ASI, commented : “it is a wonderful idea from Peter Lehmann Wines to help the sommeliers improve their knowledge and also a fantastic motivation for them. This is a partnership really in line with the philosophy of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.”

David Biraud, who also becomes on this occasion vice-champion of Europe 2010, following Paolo Basso, from Switzerland, was already 3rd in the Contest of the Best Sommelier of the World 2010 in Chile.