Preparing for a blind wine-tasting competition and marathon may seem starkly different but for Roberto Herrera, head of sommelier of the three-Michelin-starred Joel Robuchon in Singapore, these two could not be more similar.
The 38-year-old, who hails from Spain, believes that practice makes perfect. Two weeks prior to Ruinart Sommelier Singapore Challenge 2018 that was held in March, he went through blind tastings twice daily — a glass of white wine in the morning and a glass of red wine in the evening. The wines could be from anywhere around the world, including countries like France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
He says: “Preparing for a sommelier challenge is like doing a marathon; the more you practise, the longer you can run. It is the same with training for blind wine tasting. The first time, your nose might be out as it is a battle of aromas. But if you keep practice identifying one wine a day, you will be able to identify two wines after a week, and so on. You will get better with tasting, writing and thinking about possibilities with wines.”
This thorough preparation led him to take home the top prize at the Singapore edition of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge this year. Herrera beat 13 other participations at the third edition of the annual challenge that is organised by Ruinart, the world’s first established champagne house in 1729. He edged out runner-ups Britt Ng of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore and Inthran Ramasamy from Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
A Rigorous Challenge
Participants had to identify four white wines from around the world within 45 minutes. Besides describing the characteristics of wines, from the appearance, nose to palate, they also had to elaborate on how they came to a conclusion on what they thought the wines were. They also had to talk about the wines’ ageing abilities, correct serving temperatures and suggest food and wine pairings during the rigorous challenge.
The judges for challenge were Ruinart winemaker Caroline Fiot, Nicola Lee, head of organisation at Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne in Singapore, and Mohamad Fazil, group sommelier of Salt Grill & Sky Bar and the winner of last year’s challenge.
Fiot says: “The standard of sommeliers here is incredibly high and we had a difficult time picking the winner as the competition was really close. We felt that Roberto gave the most comprehensive and precise answers.”
The victory is especially sweet for Herrera as it marks his first sommelier challenge win since he uprooted to Singapore eight months ago from London, where he worked as an assistant head sommelier at private wine club 67 Pall Mall for three years. It is also his first competition since being crowned champion of a sommelier competition in Spain three years ago.
On winning the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge, he says: “This beautiful surprise is a special moment for me. It is a great opportunity to taste wines. Through this challenge, we get exposed to the various styles of wines, wine markets and learn about history of the maison.”
On the other hand, the easiest to identify was the Sancerre 2016 from France. He says: “I knew the wine immediately from the herbaceous smell of citrus fruits, green apple, silex and cat’s pee.” Another shoo-in for him was an Albarino 2015 from Spain with a fresh floral and herbal taste profile and high minerality.
Another challenge of taking part in the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge was the language barrier. Herrera, who usually communicates in Spanish, recalls: “It was my first time taking part in a competition that was conducted in English so I had to be very careful as the meaning of the words can change due to misspelling.”
Shining The Spotlight On Thiols Wines
The theme of this year's challenge was centred on thiols wine varietals that are known for their tropical fruit aromas. Thiols varietal wines include Sauvignon Blanc and Albarino. Participants also attended a masterclass on thiols wines conducted by Fiot after the challenge.
Herrera says that these varietals are difficult to identify as they are reminiscent of unripened stone fruit, such as grapefruit, that are highly acidic with low sugar content. These fruits, he says, are not commonly found in Europe. "It is like how green mango can only be found in Asia and most Europeans are unfamiliar with it,” he adds.
A Nose For Wines
Growing up with a sensitive nose, Herrera has a strong and precise sense of smell. He laments: “These days, people are eating with their eyes and palate, and they have forgotten to smell.” A wine aroma kit that he bought when he first studied wines decades ago help to broaden his horizons. “Fruits such as blackcurrants and blueberries are so similar in aromas that the only difference lies is in its acidity,” he says. He adds that being game to smell and taste a wide variety of fruit and smelling the scent of flowers has honed his sense of smell.
As the winner of this year’s challenge, Herrera snags a coveted four-day trip to Maison Ruinart in Champagne, France, later this year. Having visited Champagne five times, he says: “I hope to understand how Ruinart is able to produce and maintain top quality wines for close to 300 years. If I get to see the old vintage of Dom Ruinart, I will be very happy.”
His advice for future participants of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge? “Reading enology books is not enough — keep an open mind, try new ingredients and never stop learning.”
RELATED: Mohamad Fazil, Ruinart Sommelier Challenge 2017 Winner: “Blind Tastings Test Your Discipline.”
