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Maison Ruinart has once again organized the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge to choose the best sommelier in a blind tasting organized as part of the San Sebastian Gastronomika congress. The oenological competition, which was attended by more than 40 sommeliers from all over Spain, consisted of a blind tasting in which the participants were evaluated through the description of the wines, the pairing and the serving conditions, among other parameters. In this edition, the jury was composed of Florence Boubée-Legrand, winemaker of Maison Ruinart, Diego González, winner of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge 2022 and Pablo Martín, President of the Union of Spanish Sommelier Associations.
The prize, which includes training in the Maison’s cellars in Reims (France) and €1,000 in cash, went to the Canary Islands sommelier Diego Tornel, from the Paradisus Gran Canaria hotel, who won in a disputed blind tasting. The second prize went to Josep Maria Juhé Masferrer, from Palma de Mallorca, while the podium was closed by Claudia Gozalbes Mendoza, Head Sommelier of HYATT Hotels.
The impact of climate change
Each year, the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge addresses a different theme. In this eighth edition, the oldest champagne house in the world chose to address climate change. Florence Boubée-Legrand, the winery’s winemaker, gave an interesting presentation in which she explained how Maison Ruinart has had to adapt to the effects of climate change when producing its champagne in the vineyards of Reims.
During the presentation, Florence pointed out the problems they have had to face in recent years, due to the effects of climate change, and how they have had to adapt the production process, since they involved changes in the cycle of the vineyard, in the temperature or in the water, as well as other bioclimatic indicators. Maison Ruinart’s winemaker also highlighted the great work done by the whole team to keep improving and maintain the high level of their winery.
Florence Boubée-Legrand also gave way to a technical tasting on the Chardonnay grape and the premiere presentation of the Maison’s new cuvée, Blanc Singulier from 2017 and 2018, a clear example of the new adaptation in the production processes that she had been discussing during the presentation on climate change.