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Joris Gutierrez Garcia, from Montreal, Canada, winner of the ASI Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025 competition
(Image credit: Courtesy of the ASI)

The Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025 was crowned on February 20 at a five-day event organised by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) in partnership with the Best USA Sommelier Association (BUSA).

The event – held every third year – took place at the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa in Santa Rosa (Sonoma, California) and brought together top sommeliers from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, the USA and Venezuela.

Landmark edition

The seventh, 2025 edition of the Best Sommelier of the Americas took place on American soil for the first time, consolidating the collaboration between the ASI and BUSA. Founded in 2018, the latter became a member of the international association in 2021.

The contestants were put to the test in a series of theoretical and practical challenges, including blind tastings, tailored wine services and wine list reviews. After the initial round, the cohort of 14 contestants was narrowed down to six semifinalists: Nicolás Reines (from Colombia), Joris Gutierrez Garcia (Canada), Jerónimo Tellarini (Uruguay), Guilhem Renaud (Ecuador), Joseph Ruiz (Peru) and Mark Guillaudeu MS (USA).

A gripping final and a new champion

The six sommeliers progressed to the next stage of tasks, overseen by ASI’s technical committee. Among the judges were former ASI Best Sommelier of the World-winners Raimonds Tomsons, Serge Dubs, Olivier Poussier, Shinya Tasaki, Véronique Rivest and Andreas Larson, Heidi Mäkinen MW and Paz Levinson, Best Sommelier of Argentina in 2010 and 2014.

On 20 February, the three finalists – Reines, Gutiérrez García, and Guillaudeu – took the stage (designed to look like a restaurant dining room) for the event’s grand finale.

After the jury’s deliberations, William Wouters, president of the ASI, announced that the title of Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025 would go to Gutierrez Garcia with Guillaudeu and Reines taking second and third place respectively.

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Gutierrez Garcia on stage during one of the competition’s final challenges
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

About Gutierrez Garcia

Born in Montreal, 32-year-old Joris Gutierrez Garcia came into prominence at both local and national level. He went on to win the titles of Best Sommelier of Québec and Canada in 2023.

Currently head sommelier at Montreal fine-dining venue Club Chasse et Pêche and a partner at boutique importer Agence Pirates, Gutierrez Garcia started his hospitality career as a kitchen porter but wine quickly became his passion. He began his sommelier studies in 2013 at the Institut de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie du Québec and is now a Master Sommelier candidate.

‘Being named the ASI’s Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025 by such a prestigious jury is the culmination of over 10 years of study and hard work,’ said Gutierrez Garcia. ‘It makes me even more determined to continue improving as a professional.

‘These competitions are very important; they’re spaces where colleagues from around the world can come together and share expertise and knowledge,’ he concluded. ‘It’s a great space to grow.’

The victory gives Gutierrez Garcia the ticket to represent the Americas at the next ASI Best Sommelier of the World competition, which will be held in 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Alejandro Iglesias
Alejandro Iglesias
Decanter Magazine, South America Expert & DWWA Judge

Alejandro Iglesias was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a family where gastronomy and wine always occupied leading roles. In 2004, he changed his career as a Financial Adviser to begin his studies at the Argentine School of Sommeliers. Since then, he has worked as a wine writer for several Argentine and international media publications, as well as being a Decanter contributor. As a wine educator, he teaches classes in Argentina, Uruguay, Panama and Costa Rica. Since 2010 he has been the Executive Sommelier at Bonvivir, the largest wine club in Argentina and in 2013 he launched Vinomanos.com, the first Argentine wine app. As a member of the Argentine Sommeliers Association (AAS), he participated in the organising committee of the Best Sommelier Competition in Mendoza, Argentina. Alejandro Iglesias was a judge at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).