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Despite being crowned ASI Best Sommelier of the World 1989, and the winner of many prestigious prizes in sommellerie, the greatest satisfaction for Dubs remains something more personal than a title. It’s making a guest happy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery day was a joy,\u201d Dubs says.<\/p>\n
That joy comes from understanding the person across the table. Two guests eating the same menu may need entirely different wines. Their preferences, budgets and experiences shape the recommendation. Knowledge matters, but its value lies in how thoughtfully it is applied.<\/p>\n
Dubs speaks of service with attention, delicacy and respect. A guest should feel comfortable, reassured and valued. The sommelier\u2019s expertise should make choosing easier, allowing pleasure to take precedence over uncertainty.<\/p>\n
His world title brought confidence and recognition, but it did not change that responsibility. Honours belong to a career; they should never become a barrier between a sommelier and a guest.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not complicated if you just do it with your heart,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
There is humility, too, in how Dubs understands the praise that follows a memorable bottle. The sommelier may receive the compliment, but the achievement begins elsewhere. A great wine experience for Dubs begins in the vineyard, with the producer, and through their work in the winery and cellar which gives a wine its character.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wine is the genius.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Dubs, that genius waits inside the bottle. Opening and serving it allows its qualities to reach the person tasting it. The sommelier helps create the encounter, while recognising everyone whose work made it possible. A successful meal brings together wine, cooking and hospitality.<\/p>\n
This philosophy also shapes his mentorship. Diplomas and experience are valuable, but young sommeliers must learn to listen, exercise restraint and communicate with clarity. An affordable bottle deserves the same care in temperature, opening and service as a celebrated wine.<\/p>\n
Dubs worked on his own communication, taking speaking classes to become more comfortable addressing an audience. His advice to future competitors follows the same principle as his advice for the dining room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to embrace simplicity when speaking about wine so that everyone can understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
For him, this also translates to competition. A contest like the upcoming ASI Best Sommelier of the World in Lisbon should reveal the skills practised through regular restaurant service, including knowledge but as importantly it includes presence, judgement and the ability to connect with people.<\/p>\n
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After half a century at L\u2019Auberge de l\u2019Ill, his legacy reaches beyond the bottles served or honours earned. It lives in guests who return seeking his guidance, and in young sommeliers learning that expertise carries a responsibility to others.<\/p>\n
His lasting lesson is a simple one.<\/p>\n
“Listen carefully, share generously, and make the guest happy.”<\/p>\n
The future of sommellerie depends as much on that human connection as on the knowledge behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Serge Dubs once imagined a career that would take him far from Alsace. He wanted to travel, discover the world and meet its people. Instead, and without regrets, he spent 50 years at the prestigious L\u2019Auberge de l\u2019Ill in Alsace, finding that a restaurant could offer both roots and a window onto the world. At […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,268],"tags":[],"coauthors":[41],"class_list":["post-4450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-roadtolisbon"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n