{"id":4237,"date":"2026-08-14T19:53:38","date_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/?p=4237"},"modified":"2026-08-14T19:53:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-14T18:53:38","slug":"making-a-champion-with-raimonds-tomsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.asi.info\/?p=4237","title":{"rendered":"Making a Champion: with Raimonds Tomsons"},"content":{"rendered":"
In our first instalment of ASI Magazine\u2019s Road to Lisbon series, 2023 ASI Best Sommelier of the World Raimonds Tomsons looks back at the mindset, discipline and humanity behind his title-winning performance in Paris and explains why it is important for competitors never lose sight of hospitality.<\/p>\n
When Raimonds Tomsons arrived in Paris for the 2023 ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest, the technical preparation was familiar. He had studied, tasted and rehearsed with the same rigour that had carried him through earlier international competitions. What had changed was not his knowledge, but his state of mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI landed with a totally different mindset,\u201d Tomsons recalls. \u201cI felt well physically and mentally. I really had the feeling that I wanted to enjoy the competition, Paris and the week of events.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is an unexpectedly serene description of entering what would turn out to be the most consequential competition of his career, and life changing event. Yet that calm was not complacency. It was the product of years of work, a settled personal life and the support of family, friends and trainers. Most importantly, it reflected an acceptance that the preparation was complete. \u201cI felt confident,\u201d he says, \u201cand I really wanted to enjoy every minute, every hour, every day of the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n
That distinction, between trying to become ready and knowing one is ready, offers the first lesson in the making of a champion.<\/p>\nTomsons says the quarter-final round is often the most psychologically unnerving.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For all the spectacle of the final, Tomsons says the quarterfinal was psychologically the most difficult stage. Every candidate begins there, and one imperfect day can end years of preparation before the public ever sees it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t perform well there, the race is over for you,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
In Paris, Tomsons emerged satisfied. He had completed the theory, blind tasting and practical components on time and, by his assessment, without a major error. He resisted the temptation to compare answers excessively with other candidates. It was partly a strategy for protecting his own concentration, but also an act of consideration. A seemingly innocent conversation can increase the anxiety of a colleague who believes they have performed poorly.<\/p>\n
This sensitivity reflects the unusual character of sommelier competition. The candidates are rivals, but they are also members of a close international community. Tomsons never saw the contest as antagonistic. \u201cIn the end, it is all about competing,\u201d he says, \u201cbut the competition does not happen when we are against each other.\u201d Each sommelier enters the room alone. In that sense, the true opponent is not the candidate standing nearby, but one\u2019s own uncertainty, inattention and inability to execute under pressure.<\/p>\n
Nor did Tomsons spend his evenings in Paris frantically cramming. He might briefly revisit an obscure term or geographical indication, but the priority was sleep, nutrition and physical readiness. Wine knowledge is infinite; competition time is not. Knowing when to stop studying is itself part of preparation.<\/p>\n
There was, however, another form of preparation taking place. The official programme of masterclasses, lunches and dinners was not merely social. Tomsons had learned that lesson at the 2019 world contest in Antwerp, when he passed up the chance to practice pouring draught beer at an event. A related challenge appeared as the opening task of the final, which he mishandled. The error unsettled him and, in his view, contributed to a domino effect across the performance.<\/p>\n
His advice to future candidates is simple: attend, respect the programme and pay attention. A contest is supported by partners, and the products or skills presented during the week may later acquire unexpected relevance. Just as importantly, the events offer moments to relax, reconnect with colleagues and remember the community surrounding the competition, Although Tomsons adds that an early departure from the Bar des Sommeliers, a nightly social event featuring wines from local and international partners, was a necessity to get the sleep required to perform the following day.<\/p>\n
The semi-final brings a different pressure. It is fast, dynamic and heavily practical, demanding blind tasting, food-and-wine analysis and the polished execution of service. There is little time to dwell on an error.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you leave the room and go to the next task, you just don\u2019t think about it,\u201d Tomsons says. \u201cIt is very important to be consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Consistency, however, is not the same as clinical precision. A sommelier must remain hospitable even while the clock is running. How can a candidate connect with guests, show personality and create a sense of ease while simultaneously remembering every technical detail?<\/p>\n
For Tomsons, the answer lies in making technique automatic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe key element is to polish your technique to perfection,\u201d he explains. \u201cDuring the practical tasks, you do not think about your technique. Every move comes out automatically.\u201d<\/p>\n
He trained service in minute detail: the position of each object, the mise en place, the sequence of movements and the organisation of the gu\u00e9ridon. Competition venues, glasses and equipment may change, but the principles remain the same. When those mechanics are embedded deeply enough, the candidate no longer spends precious mental energy deciding where to stand or what to reach for next. Speed, efficiency and elegance become instinctive, freeing the mind to focus on the guests.<\/p>\n
This is where technical service becomes hospitality. Experience matters here. Time on the dining-room floor, appearances in previous contests and familiarity with the stage all contribute to composure. Natural charm and charisma can help, but they cannot compensate for inadequate preparation. Technique and repetition give personality room to emerge.<\/p>\n
Before the Paris final, Tomsons told himself that not advancing would be acceptable. His career was strong, his family life was happy and however important, this was still \u201cjust a competition.\u201d Far from diminishing his ambition, that perspective loosened the contest\u2019s psychological grip.<\/p>\n
When Pascaline Lepeltier was announced in fourth place, Tomsons knew he would return to the world final alongside Nina Jensen and Reeze Choi. Before them waited a vast stage and thousands of spectators inside Paris La D\u00e9fense Arena.<\/p>\nPerforming in front of a crowd gave Tomsons an adrenaline rush.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For a less experienced candidate, the scale might have been paralysing. Tomsons felt something different: excitement. \u201cWhen I saw the amazing audience, it was even more adrenaline. It was like, \u2018Wow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
His immediate priority was the first task. The memory of Antwerp had taught him how powerfully an opening mistake could shape everything that followed. A clean start reduces stress, builds confidence and allows the candidate to see the full picture. Under too much pressure, Tomsons says, \u201cyou start to get blind.\u201d Relaxed focus, by contrast, creates the freedom to be precise, controlled and outwardly effortless.<\/p>\n
The opening in Paris may have felt slightly clumsy to him when he watched it later, but it did not derail the performance. He remained consistent, absorbed the encouragement of the audience and began to inhabit the stage as if it were his dining room. With time remaining after tasks, he moved through the space, checked on tables and even approached the bartender to ask whether there were new orders.<\/p>\n
Then came a spontaneous remark that captured the evening. Walking across the stage, unaware of how prominently his microphone would carry it, Tomsons said to himself, \u201cWhat a night.\u201d<\/p>\n
The audience erupted in cheers. It was not rehearsed, and that was precisely why it mattered. For an instant, spectators were no longer watching a candidate execute tasks. They were watching a sommelier genuinely enjoying service. His personality had broken through the structure of the contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the audience can really feel that this is the defining moment,\u201d Tomsons says. \u201cYou can only do that by being well prepared, by feeling confident, by feeling calm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not every outstanding floor sommelier is suited to competition, he cautions. The format is highly specific, and the stage makes demands unlike those of a restaurant. Yet for those who do compete, the ability to reveal an authentic personality can elevate a technically accomplished performance into something memorable.<\/p>\n
Standing with Jensen and Choi as the results were announced, Tomsons could judge only his own performance. The finalists had competed one at a time and had not seen one another\u2019s work. He knew he had performed well, but he did not know how the points had been weighted or where the decisive differences might lie.<\/p>\n
When Choi was named third, hope grew. Then, just before the winner was announced, Jensen leaned toward Tomsons and whispered words he remembers as something close to: \u201cThis is yours, Raimonds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moments later, it was.<\/p>\nTomsons was overcome with joy after being named the winner.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
He describes the feeling as a combination of happiness, excitement and relief It is an emotion difficult to explain after so many years of ambition and discipline. It was, he says, perhaps the most special moment of his professional life.<\/p>\n
Tomsons had some idea of what would follow. Winning the 2017 ASI Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa contest had already introduced him to the opportunities and responsibilities carried by a major title. Even so, waking the next morning as world champion felt unreal. With his wife beside him, he wondered aloud whether it had all been a dream.<\/p>\n
The celebration was fittingly unceremonious. He gathered his wife, trainers, friends and the president of the Latvian Sommelier Association at a casual restaurant with a strong selection of Jura wines. Champagne was followed by bottles from Jura and the Loire, accompanied by simple, delicious food. After a week of total concentration, grandeur was less appealing than normality and the company of those closest to him.<\/p>\n
Tomsons\u2019 journey also mirrors the evolution of the profession. When he entered his first international competition in Sofia in 2008, the sommelier was still commonly imagined as a formal figure in a fine-dining room. Today, sommeliers work in bistros, wine bars, retail, importing, education, journalism and digital media. Service has become less rigid, even as expectations of knowledge and quality have risen.<\/p>\n
He is particularly encouraged by the growing number of women entering competitions and advancing into their later stages and hopes a woman will soon win a world title. More broadly, he welcomes a profession open to different environments and different forms of communication.<\/p>\n
That communication, he believes, must begin with the guest. The modern sommelier\u2019s role is not to recite technical knowledge, but to determine what will make wine meaningful to the person in front of them. Depending on the guest, that may involve a story, a place, a historical detail or simply an accessible description. Wine can be intimidating; the sommelier\u2019s task is to invite people closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need to read the consumer to understand what they are expecting,\u201d he says. \u201cThis is really the art of sommellerie and what separates a good sommelier from a great one.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the next generation prepares for Lisbon, Tomsons sees giving back as one of the principal responsibilities of his title. \u201cWe need to inspire and motivate the young generation,\u201d he says, \u201cbecause this is our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
His example offers them something more useful than a formula for winning. Prepare until technique becomes instinct. Respect the people and experiences around the competition. Leave mistakes behind. Begin well. Stay curious. And when the lights are brightest, remember that the person at the table does not want to see how hard you have worked. They want to feel welcome.<\/p>\n
In our first instalment of ASI Magazine\u2019s Road to Lisbon series, 2023 ASI Best Sommelier of the World Raimonds Tomsons looks back at the mindset, discipline and humanity behind his title-winning performance in Paris and explains why it is important for competitors never lose sight of hospitality. When Raimonds Tomsons arrived in Paris for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,268],"tags":[47,274,276,272,270,46],"coauthors":[41],"class_list":["post-4237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-roadtolisbon","tag-asi","tag-best-sommelier-of-word","tag-latvia","tag-raimonds-tomsons","tag-road-to-lisbon","tag-sommelier"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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