Larsson’s discovery of wine eventually led him onto the competition stage. After being named Best Sommelier of Sweden three consecutive times and Best Sommelier of Scandinavia, he first rose to the podium on the world stage when he became ASI Best Sommelier of Europe in 2004. Three years later, in Rhodes, Greece, he reached the pinnacle of the profession, earning the title of ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2007.
His victory was also significant for Sweden and the broader internationalisation of competitive sommellerie. For much of the contest’s early history, France and Italy had dominated. Shinya Tasaki’s victory for Japan in 1995 and Markus Del Monego’s win for Germany in 1998 began to redraw the map.
“Prior to Shinya, there were only French and Italian winners,” Larsson says. “Then Markus won for Germany in 1998. After that, it was again Italy and France. I was the first Swede to win in Europe in 2004 and then the world title in 2007. Not too long after we had a second Swede win the title.”
That second Swedish champion was Arvid Rosengren, who won the world title in 2016. More recently, success has moved farther east and north, most notably with Latvia’s Raimonds Tomsons becoming ASI Best Sommelier of the World in Paris in 2023.
“What is going on now in the Baltics, with success in Europe and Raimonds being the world champion, is interesting,” Larsson says. “I think the Baltics or, more broadly, Northern and Eastern Europe are more like Scandinavia was 20 years ago in terms of gastronomy and everything that is going on.”
These countries may not possess the centuries-old restaurant traditions associated with France or Italy, but Larsson recognises the ambition driving their rise.
“They didn’t come from the most famous gastronomic background, but they are serious, hardworking people. It was just a matter of time.”
He sees similar momentum building well beyond Europe. As wine culture expands into emerging markets, so too does the depth and quality of sommelier education.
“When I go to Southeast Asia, to places like Malaysia and Thailand that are still fairly new wine countries, they are doing great things. They are making great progress.”
That widening international field makes predicting the outcome in Lisbon increasingly difficult. As the contest’s master of ceremonies, Larsson carefully avoids naming an individual favourite, but he acknowledges that continental champions naturally arrive carrying significant expectations.
“Statistically, of course, you have a European champion, an Americas champion and an Asia and Pacific champion,” he says. “They are always obviously among the favourites. Then we have a lot of other people who have been on stage a few times. There is certainly a top ten of people with the potential to win.”
Yet reputation and previous results offer no guarantees. Larsson knows this from personal experience. After winning the European title in 2004, he arrived at that year’s world contest in Athens as one of the leading contenders, only to miss the final.
“What I like is that you never know exactly what will happen, because sometimes the favourites are not necessarily on the podium,” he says. “What happened to me in Greece in 2004 is an example. I was the reigning European champion, but I didn’t reach the final. I was kind of pissed off, frankly speaking. But it happens.”
The lesson is that knowledge and technical ability are only part of what determines success. Candidates must arrive physically prepared, mentally composed and capable of managing the immense pressure of performing under scrutiny.
“Sometimes you expect too much. There is the pressure, the nerves and everything else. There are probably one, two or three wild cards we haven’t seen before who will reach the top. There will also be expected favourites who won’t be where we expect them to be. That always happens.”
For Larsson, preparation extends far beyond memorising appellations, identifying beverages or perfecting service technique. What happens away from the competition can be equally decisive.
“It is mainly about preparation which includes your physical and mental preparation. If you have too much stress in your life at that moment, it is not good. I’ve seen candidates whom I know could perform much better, but because of changing work, family issues and so forth, they didn’t perform well.”
The ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest has often been described as the Olympics of sommellerie. Like an elite athlete, a candidate must reach peak form at precisely the right moment. Years of preparation can lead to the stage, but on the day, composure, health and circumstance may separate a champion from the rest.
As Lisbon approaches, Larsson will once again have one of the best views in the house. From the kitchen to the competition stage, and now to his role guiding the audience through the finale, he has witnessed both the evolution and global expansion of sommellerie.
“There are certainly people with the potential to win,” he says. “But you never know exactly.”
That uncertainty is precisely what will make Lisbon so compelling.
