The first Young Sommelier Challenge was organized on November 11th at Belgrade’s Hyatt Regency Hotel by SERSA, the Serbian Sommeliers Association (https://www.sommelierserbia.com/ ), where twenty young people aged 18 to 29 from across Serbia showcased their knowledge of the country’s indigenous grapes such as Prokupac, Kadarka, Crna and Bela Tamjanika, Smederevka, Morava, and a host of more exotic varieties. In the run-up to the competition, the contestants received extensive training from top Serbian sommeliers and enologists, learning about the appearance, smell, and taste of wines made from indigenous grapes, decanting skills, and how to uncork sparkling wine bottles and pair food with wine.
The finals saw a tense three-way battle between Andreja Adamović, hailing from the Western Serbian town of Zaječar, Dušana Ubiparipa, of Novi Sad, and Marko Krstić, whose charm and down-to-earth manner utlimately won over the jury. The win made Marko Serbia’s champion young sommelier, a title that not only holds much prestige but also makes him responsible for the important task of being an ambassador for Serbian wine.
