Our News: May 2023

Autumn greetings,

Our new tasting events Travel By Glass, have dates scheduled for the 

• Loire Valley with Tori Haysom on Monday 29 May
• Swartland on Monday 17 July with Martin Cahnbley
• Portugal on Monday 28 August with Vintners Wines.

These are informal, fun tastings and included a presentation on the wine region as well as some canapes to pair with the wines.  Click here to see upcoming events.

For the more serious wine aficionados and those based in Auckland who want to practise their blind wine tasting skills, we are starting the NZ Sommeliers Wine Tasting Club  for our professional and associate members. We hope to make this a weekly or bi-monthly event with a diverse array of wines over the weeks and months to come.

You can join us from this Monday at 4-5.30pm at NZ School of Food and Winein the Viaduct. Click here to find out more.

ASI Association of Sommeliers has announced their certification programme for 2023.

In New Zealand, we have set the following dates but you will need email uswith an expression interest before the registration deadline.

• Certification One on Monday 26 June registration deadline Monday 29 May
• Certification Two on Monday 13 November  registration deadline Monday 18 September
• ASI Diploma: January 22, 2024 

Click here to read more.

CMS Certification in Auckland

For the first time since, 2019 the Court of Master Sommeliers Oceania will be holding the Introductory and Certified Exams in Auckland. Spaces are limited and already 66% of registrations are NZ-based, with the remainder of candidates residing in Australia and Asia Pacific region.

Click here: Registrations close on Sunday August 6, 2023. 

National Blind Wine Tasting Competition
We are finalising the dates for the National Blind Wine Tasting Competition to be held between June - August and will be coming back to you very soon with more details.

ASI Vice President Role
From my side, I have put my name forward to stand as Vice President for the Association of Sommeliers International Asia-Oceania now changed to ASI Asia-Pacific. 

For this role, there will be an election in July at the General Assembly in Helsinki, Finland. The following countries are members of our region and vote on the VP role: Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Kazakhstan with Vietnam as an observer member. 

With best wishes to you all,

Celia Hay