A showcase of excellence
Three of France’s leading sommeliers – Pascaline Lepeltier, Florent Martin and Bastien Debono, each a former winner of Meilleur Sommelier de France – were invited to demonstrate their expertise across a demanding series of challenges designed to mirror the standards of the international stage. The programme combined rigorous written tests with practical exercises. Candidates undertook blind tastings, assessments of viticultural knowledge and general culture, and a range of service-based workshops including food-and-wine pairing in a commercial context.
The jury, chaired by David Biraud, head of KEDGE Wine School, brought together some of the profession’s most respected figures. Among them were Jérémy Cukierman (Master of Wine), Philippe Faure-Brac (Best Sommelier of the World), Jean-Luc Jamrozic (President of the Paris Sommeliers’ Association), Romain Iltis (Meilleur Sommelier de France and President of the Alsace Sommeliers’ Association) and Arnaud Fatome (Head Sommelier at Saint-James and Master of Port).
At the close of the trials, Pascaline Lepeltier was named as France’s representative for the world championship in Lisbon, with Florent Martin announced as reserve. Over the coming months, Pascaline will continue her training at KEDGE Wine School’s Paris campus, with a dedicated programme designed to refine her technical skills, sharpen her competitive edge and prepare her for the global stage.
This latest achievement follows the school’s support of Pascaline Lepeltier in 2024, when she secured second place at the ASI Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa competition in Belgrade. Guided by David Biraud, KEDGE Wine School continues to strengthen its reputation as a hub of excellence in wine education and sommelier training. By combining academic rigour with close engagement with leading professionals, the school prepares future sommeliers to excel at the very highest international level.
