Registration opens on 9 November for the competition that rewards Professional Wine Shopkeepers from all over Italy and beyond.
A complex and constantly evolving figure, who has been able to evolve to meet ever-changing needs, capable of recommending the perfect bottle for an important occasion but also of estimating the value of collectors' labels or studying wine lists for restaurants.
This is the Professional Wine Shopkeeper, a job that knows no crisis and which sees increasingly well-prepared and multifaceted professionals. The Best Italian Wine Shopkeeper Competition, created by AEPI (Association of Professional Italian Wine Shopkeepers), is aimed at them and registration opens today 9 November.
<<The competition, now in its third edition, is designed to enhance a figure that is still little known to the general public yet essential to the market and the image of Italian wine. The Professional Wine Shopkeeper is a trained technician and an expert communicator, capable of guiding the customer in the purchase of a prestigious product, but can also be a provider of services aimed at enhancing the value of wine in all its complexity. What distinguishes him are preparation, competence, education and empathy. - AEPI President Francesco Bonfio affirms. - The competition becomes a great opportunity for all members to prove themselves and grow personally and professionally.>>
The Competition
The competition is open to all professional wine shop owners, employees or consultants, collaborators or freelancers. There will be two competition categories: the first dedicated to wine shop owners who work in wine shops exclusively with take-away sales and the other dedicated to those who work in public establishments with sales and serving such as wine bars, wine shops and taverns where it is possible to taste and purchase wines and spirits. Lastly, there will be two special prizes: Best Wine Shopkeeper Under 30 (under the aegis of the Chianti Classico Wine Consortium) and Best Italian Wine Shopkeeper Abroad (under the aegis of the Friuli Colli Orientali and Ramandolo Wine Consortium).
Registration will be open from 9 November 2023 to 31 January 2024. Three tests will follow, the first and second online in February 2024, the final will be held in November 2024 in Rome in presence.
The competition will test contestants on complex topics, which will require analytical and reasoning skills as well as technical knowledge. Evaluating the preparation in three consecutive selections will be a jury of five experts: in addition to jury president Stefano Caffarri, there will be a professional sommelier, a journalist, a communicator and a trainer.
The finalists will also have the opportunity to take part in two training stages, the first organised by the Enoteca del Barolo on Piedmont's most prestigious wine and, for the first time, also focusing on Piedmont's best-known gastronomic PDO products (the Piedmont Hazelnut PGI, Murazzano PDO and Prosciutto Crudo di Cuneo PDO), from 17 to 21 March 2024. By October 2024, an internship will be held in Épernay for the third consecutive year, organised by the Comité Champagne, the body representing all the Maisons and Vignerons of the world's most famous appellation. Alongside this special visit programme reserved for finalists, the Comité Champagne will also offer two training sessions open to all candidates. Knowledge of Champagne will in fact be the subject of evaluation both in the online tests and during the final.
The competition enjoys the patronage of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (Masaf) and is organised in collaboration with Vinarius Associazione Enoteche Italiane.
Who is the Professional Wine Shopkeeper
The Wine Shopkeeper is increasingly a complex figure. He is first and foremost the person to turn to when choosing a wine but his work is not necessarily aimed at selling the bottle.
He holds introductory wine courses for wine enthusiasts, organises private tastings, even at home, guides customers who want a service they would otherwise not be able to find, and manages private wine cellars.
The catering industry also sees in this figure a reference. The economic crisis and the shortage of specialised personnel have led many establishments to give up the figure of the sommelier and turn to the Enotecario for the management of the wine list and/or the training of the dining room staff assigned to wine service.
Photo with the 3 winners of the 2023 edition
The Professional Wine Shopkeeper thus becomes the consultant capable of responding to needs with flexibility and competence.
The consultant for wine collectors
The Wine Cellar Master is also able to advise on the purchase of collectors' wines or to estimate the value of an important bottle, should the owner wish to sell it. A sector, that of collector wines, monitored by the LivEx index, which assesses the most sought-after collector wines in the world, the subject of a real market that holds up even in times of crisis.
Finally, the winemaker is a communicator: he can collaborate with on and off line magazines, be an influencer on social media, be part of juries of wine competitions.
With Law no. 4 of 14 January 2013, the Italian State regulates and provides for professions that do not refer to orders or colleges. It also provides for a list published on the MIMiT website, in which AEPI is present, listing the Associations that issue certificates of quality and professional qualification of the services rendered by members, and supervises on behalf of the State compliance with the Statute, the Code of Ethics and mandatory continuing education.
