An interview with Matias Prezioso, ASI Vice-President Americas
2025 was a defining year for sommellerie across the Americas, marked bymilestones thatbroadened the region’s visibility, diversity, and ambition. From a landmark continentalchampionship in Sonoma to historic advancements in South America and the Caribbean, the yearshowcased a profession evolving beyond its traditional centres. The rise of new voices, newmember countries, and new educational pathways signalled a shift toward a more inclusive andregionally representative future. At the same time, the achievements of individual sommeliersfrom Canada and the United States toColombia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and theDominican Republicand elsewherehighlighted the extraordinary breadth of talent shaping thebeverage landscape today. Taken together, 2025 stands as a transformative chapter, redefiningwhat excellencemeans in the Americas.
1.A Landmark Continental Contest in Sonoma
The ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025 marked a historic milestone as it was held for the first time in the United States, reinforcing that country’s growing role in the global sommelier ecosystem. Joris Garcia (ASI Gold Diploma) of Canada narrowly edged out Mark Guilladeu (ASI Gold Diploma, Master Sommelier) to take home the title. The contest held in Sonoma, also produced another defining regional moment when Nicolás Reines of Colombia reached the podium, finishing in third place. For Colombia, a country without a deep-rooted domestic wine production culture, this achievement signalled a remarkable rise. Reines’ performance not only showcased the technical excellence emerging from non-traditional wine nations but also sent a powerful message to younger sommeliers across Latin America: excellence is possible regardless of geography or local industry limitations.
2. Argentina’s Valeria Mortara Recognised as a Leading Voice in Hospitality
Valeria Mortara, Head Sommelier at Buenos Aires’ celebrated Anchoita, was honoured with the “Guiding Spirit for Wine in Hospitality” award. Her work represents the best of modern Latin American sommellerie as the award recognises her combination of deep knowledge, service-driven attitude, and relentless commitment to guest experience. Mortara’s recognition also underscores a broader shift in sommelier excellence in the Americas that bridges wine knowledge with leadership, mentorship, and service culture.
3. Venezuela Hosts the ASI EEC Meeting and Beverage Masterclasses
In an important moment for northern South America, Venezuela hosted the 2025 annual meeting of the ASI Examinations & Education Committee (EEC). The gathering was accompanied by a series of masterclasses celebrating Venezuelan cacao, rum, cocuy, and coffee; a showcase of the country’s distinctive terroirs and craft traditions. This event highlighted the expanding educational presence of ASI in the Americas and reinforced the idea that sommeliers must master not only wine but the full beverage landscape, especially culturally significant regional products. This integration was highlighted by three Venezuelan sommeliers achieving the rank of ASI Diploma recipients in 2025.
4. Colombia Becomes an ASI Active Member
A pivotal step for Latin American representation came when Colombia was formally admitted as an Active Member of ASI at the 2025 General Assembly in Cape Town. This milestone cements Colombia’s place within the global sommelier network, giving its professionals full voting rights, deeper access to ASI certification pathways, and increased visibility on the international stage. Combined with Reines’ podium finish in Sonoma, Colombia’s presence in the Americas’ sommelier community has never been stronger.
5. Growth of Education & Inclusivity Across North America
Beyond competitions, 2025 also saw a notable rise in education, access, and inclusivity initiatives across the United States and Canada. Programmes such as Wine Unify, SommFoundation scholarships, CAPS led competitions and training modules, and CMS-Americas’ expanded SKA (Sommelier Knowledge Assessment) contributed to broader professional development.
These initiatives are reshaping who can become a sommelier in the Americas. By supporting BIPOC professionals, early-career sommeliers, and those from non-traditional backgrounds, they represent a structural evolution. One that strengthens the profession’s long-term diversity, regional reach, and global competitiveness.
6. Rise of Caribbean Sommeliers: The Caribbean continues to see a rise in sommellerie, led by the Dominican Republic which hosted their inaugural “Best Italian Wine Sommelier Competition” in 2025, notably won by Andrés Meschisi. The competition strengthened Italian wine culture in the Dominican Republic and showcased the growing competitiveness of wine professionals in the country. The Dominican Republic also had outstanding representation at ASI 1 and 2 examinations, with Federico Díaz becoming the first from the Dominican Republic to obtaine ASI 2 certification. Showing the broad strength of the country, sommelier Rafael Alexander Sánchez represented the Dominican Republic at the ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas competition, performing a high-level job and carrying it out with dignity and professionalism.
7. Brazil Enriches Its Global Links – The Associação Brasileira de Sommeliers, for the first time, proctored ASI Certification 1 and 2 examinations. Participating in these exams was an extremely significant milestone for the sommelier association as it supports international recognition for sommeliers working in South America’s most populous country. The Association also hosted Sommelier Week (“La Semana del Sommelier”) , created to celebrate National Sommelier Day on August 29. During the week, all the regional associations came together for an intensive program of technical tastings, masterclasses, and conferences. This initiative not only paid tribute to the profession but also celebrated the passion that drives sommellerie in the country, promoting integration, knowledge, and recognition of the field.
7 Sommeliers Making Waves in the Americas
Mario Astudillo (Chile)
A certified Professional Sommelier since 2017, Mario Astudillo is Founding Partner and member of the Board of Directors of ALMAULE, an association that brings together wine producers from Chile’s Maule Valley to promote and highlight the País (Criolla) grape variety and the dryland winemaking culture of the Maule Valley in Chile. Mario is also the Sommelier Advisor to the Municipality of San Javier (a commune in the Maule Province), in charge of the wine development plan. This experience led him to co-author the strategic municipal development plan, “San Javier, Capital of Heritage Wine.” This plan supported San Javier’s inclusion in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2025, redefining wine as a gastronomic element. The Creative Cities Network aims to place creativity and culture at the heart of local development within one of seven creative fields (music, film, design, literature, digital arts, crafts, and gastronomy). Today, San Javier is the only city in Chile to be part of the Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy, with the goal of using wine as a central element, understanding it not only as a beverage but as an essential food, a symbol of identity, history, and local heritage. With this, Mario Astudillo has become a sommelier and wine-related cultural manager specializing in public policy and social innovation.
Carlos Moreta (Ecuador)
Carlos Moreta, Best Sommelier of Ecuador 2024, returned to his home country in 2025 after time spent employed by the Constance hotel chain in the Seychelles. Moreta came back to Ecuador to reconnect with what truly inspires him: creating experiences that begin with a glass of wine and become lasting memories. Today, in his role as corporate sommelier at Corporación Favorita, Ecuador’s largest supermarket chain and wine distributor, he works to strengthen wine culture in the country, focusing on the retail sector and how we can transform each purchase into a discovery, each bottle into a story, and each customer into a taste explorer.
Alma Cabral Arrieta (Argentina)
Alma Cabral Arrieta was crowned Argentina’s Best Sommelier of 2025. At an event held in November in Buenos Aires, a new champion was crowned. Originally from Paraguay, she has lived in Argentina for twenty years, where she has built her entire professional career as a sommelier.
Alma’s initial vocation was quite different. When she arrived in Argentina, she was underage and didn’t even drink alcohol. Fresh out of high school, she enrolled at the Argentine Institute of Gastronomy (IAG). But in her second year of that degree (from which she also graduated), she realized that the world of wine appealed to her more than cooking, and she decided to simultaneously study sommellerie at the specialized center CAVE. After obtaining her certification, she worked in restaurants such as Sucre, Aldo’s, Casa Coupage, La Bourgogne, and Tegui (Buenos Aires) and at Le Suquet-Maison Bras (two Michelin stars) in the south of France.
Vanya Filipovic (Canada)
The accolades lauded on Vanya Filipovic in 2025 aren’t so much as a rise to the podium as much as they are long-overdue recognition for one of Canada’s most thoughtful and quietly influential sommeliers. Winning the inaugural North America’s Best Sommelier Award (part of the World’s Best) has given her world attention, although her work as owner of Vin Dame Jeanne, co-owner of the celebrated Montreal eateries Mon Lapin and Restaurant Vin Papillon, she has long championed the idea that a sommelier’s craft is as much about stewardship and storytelling as it is about technical mastery. This year, she and fellow Montreal talent Alex Landry received another major honour when Canada’s 100 Best named them both among the country’s “Best Sommeliers,” a dual recognition that highlights the exceptional calibre of Quebec’s wine community.
Joris Gutierrez Garcia(Canada), ASI Diploma Gold
Honing his skills at Montreal’s Club Chasse et Pêche, Joris Gutierrez Garcia emerged out of the shadows of Quebec’s sommelier scene to become the latest Quebec resident to win the title of ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas in 2025. Quebec has a long tradition of Americas champions with the likes of Véronique Rivest, Pier-Alexis Soulière, Élyse Lambert and Ghislain Caron preceding Garcia. While the others have figured more prominently entering the competition, Garcia’s ascendancy to the title, was perhaps less expected, but unjustified as his grace under pressure and natural personality stood out in the finale.
Mark Guillaudeu (USA), MS, ASI Diploma Gold
2025 marked another significant step forward for Mark Guillaudeu on his quest to become one of the world’s best sommeliers. Guillaudeu came to the world’s attention in 2023 when he became the first American to reach the semi-finals of the ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World contest. In 2025, the Eleven Madison Park (New York) sommelier narrowly missed winning the title ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas, as he placed second, a significant achievement in a highly competitive field. With this result, Guillaudeu is poised to be a serious contender for winning the title of world’s best at the 2026 ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World in Lisbon, Portugal.
Sandra Fernández (Mexico) Named Mexico’s Sommelier of the Year
Sandra Fernández has been voted Sommelier of the Year for 2025 by the Association of Sommeliers of Mexico, an honour that reflects two decades of extraordinary influence in the food, wine, and spirits industry. Widely considered one of Mexico’s most recognised sommeliers, Fernández has set a national benchmark with her long list of certifications.
Her deep wine knowledge seamlessly informs her work in spirits, particularly tequila, where she now leads training for Casa Dragones and teaches an intensive Tequila Proficiency Course. A former Chief Sommelier and Wine Director for Grupo La Europea, Fernández continues to shape public understanding of Mexico’s rich beverage culture. A powerful voice for Mexican wine abroad and a trailblazer of women sommeliers in Latin America.
