Marinos Skolarikos, Editor, 13 March 2025. 

We are proud to host the Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025, Joris Gutierrez Garcia, at Allwinestories. The prestigious ASI – Association de la Sommellerie Internationale contest took place in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, from February 17-20, 2025.

 How do you feel about being declared the best sommelier of Americas 2025, at the recent ASI competition held in Sonoma, California on 21 February 2025 and how did you prepare for the competition?

  I feel really proud and happy for myself, but also where I work (le club Chasse et Pêche ) my city ( Montreal ) and Canada ! I still can't believe I won, because of the super high level of the other candidates. I trained at a high level for the last 6 months, tasting a lot of beverages, studying many hours every day and also working on the floor to perfect my skills. But to be honest, I've been training for this for the last 10 years, and every opportunity to learn and taste about wine and food is training. 

Olivier Pussier, Mark Guillaudeu, Joris Gutierrez Garcia,

Nicolas Reines, Saiko Tamura-Soga, William Wouters

 You’ve worked in vineyards across France and Quebec. How has this hands-on experience influenced your approach to wine selection and pairing?

 Working in the vineyards across Quebec and France was huge to me. First of all, I learned that I knew nothing about the life of someone working on the land. And also, I feel less like and impostor now. I say that because sommelier we know a lot about whats in the bottle but sometimes not enough about all the work behind it and to me it felt a bit weird knowing all this information but nothing about the reality of it. I would not say that it really influenced my approach to pairing or choosing the wine for my lists though. I just have a better understanding and appreciation for this amazing beverage. 

 As a Master Sommelier Candidate, what are the most challenging aspects of the certification process, and how are you preparing for it?

  I passed all first 3 levels on my first attempt, and then I failed 3 times the theory portion of the Master Sommelier Diploma. The most challenging part of it is that the exam is not written but more like in interview of 100+ questions.  I need to study more, better, and in a more efficient way. The fourth time is going to be the good one (fingers crossed) !

 As Chef Sommelier at Club Chasse et Pêche, how do you mentor and train your team to ensure they meet your high standards?

  I learn a lot from some of my colleagues and I hope they learn from me too. We taste wine together, talk about service and food parings and try to push each other. 

Joris Gutierrez Garcia 

 What inspired you to co-found Agence Pirates, and what has been your biggest learning experience as a business owner?

How do you balance your roles as a sommelier and a wine importer? Do these roles complement each other, and if so, how?

 In Québec there is about 450 different wine import companies all doing an amazing job, so we did not start Agence Pirates because we felt like there was a lack of good wines available, but we told ourselves why not us?! We are passionate, know the industry well and also know what sommeliers are looking for. What I really enjoy is that the producers we represent are really our partners. And to have their trust in representing them is truly a blessing and I am so honored. Everything was quite natural, we started working with people we already knew through our trips, visits and experiences in Europe.

 I learned that you can't win every battle and also that even if wine is a passion for me, we have to think with our head sometimes more than our heart when it comes to business. How do I balance both? That's the goal! I am lucky to have Xavier as a co-founder that does most of day-to-day work, and I'm also lucky to have comprehensive owners and team at the restaurant to give me the freedom to reach my goals. I also think that all what is wine related complement every wine job because the core is the same.  

Joris Gutierrez Garcia  during the final

 What initially drew you to the world of wine, and how has your passion evolved over the years?

  It's a mix of many things, my interest grew after a trip to france when I was 18 or so and my uncle opened a few wines and I was like : Oh they don't all taste the same ?!
Then I took a sommellerie course when I was 20-21 because I was a runner and wanted to become a waiter, I thought it would be nice to know a thing or two about wine. My interest turned into a passion when I realized that wine connects so many subjects that I love, from history to geopolitics, to geography, languages... I am even more passionate and curious now than 10 years ago because I think the world of wine and beverages has never been more exciting. I think that 10 years ago as was fascinated by the beverage itself, but now I am more passionate about producers and the land. 

Photo Credit: 

ASI- Association de la Sommellerie Internationale