DWWA judge profile: Marc Almert

Marc Almert is a judge at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Marc Almert

Born in Cologne, Marc Almert completed his hotel management training at the Excelsior Hotel Ernst. He gained extensive experience in various luxury hotels from the ‘Selection of German Luxury Hotels’. Having also worked in restaurants in Hamburg, Marc recently moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where he is currently in charge of the wine department at five-star hotel Baur au Lac‘s two-Michelin-star restaurant Pavillon.

Over the last few years, he has successfully participated in various international sommelier competitions. He admits to being naturally competitive, with a goal to excelling in everything he undertakes. He was named Best Sommelier of Germany in 2017 and the Best Sommelier in the World in 2019 following a tense final in Antwerp. He is the 16th winner of this award since the event was founded in 1969 and also one of the youngest to take the prize, at just 27 years old.