National wine steward competition kicks off
A young sommelier (wine steward) team competition, the seventh of its kind in China, has kicked off, organizers announced recently in Shanghai.
From now until the end of August, training and preliminary contests will be held in 16 cities across China, the largest ever in scale. The winner of each city will enter the national final in September.
The competition was organized by the Asia Wine Institute to promote interest in the job of sommelier among young people who have just entered the catering industry.
Teams from Shanghai restaurants have been performing well in the competition, winning five of the past six champions.
With the development of catering and wine industries, the demand for sommeliers, or wine steward with wine knowledge and service skills, is also developing.
According to the Asia Wine Institute, there were only five certified sommeliers in China seven years ago, and the group has now grown to 5,000.