Lisboñ, Aug. 24, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal is set to bring together sommeliers from 72 countries in October, with the aim of crowning the best and, above all, promoting itself as a country of quality wines.
«We need to focus less on volume and more on showcasing quality. We have a great deal of quality, but we need to convey this to the outside world so that we are seen as a country of quality wines,» said Tiago Paula, president of the Portuguese Sommeliers' Association, in comments to Lusa.
The association advocates moderate alcohol consumption and aims to convey the cultural message behind wine – that is, how and where people produce it – because wine «is also a reflection of the land».
To this end, around four years ago, it put itself forward in Japan to host the ‘Best Sommelier of the World' competition, which it will now host in Lisbon from 11 to 17 October.
This year's event, which is expected to attract over 3,500 people, will feature sommeliers from 72 markets, spanning North America, South America and Asia.
«The idea was to open up the possibility of entering as many markets as possible,» Tiago Paula explained to Lusa.
Sommeliers are responsible for wine service in the hospitality sector, wine cellars and the wine trade, handling not only the selection but also the pairing of wines with dishes.
Many of the sommeliers arriving in Portugal are also decision-makers, influencers and businesspeople, as well as contestants.
This is the second time Portugal has hosted the ‘Best Sommelier of the World' competition in almost 50 years.
For this edition, Portugal has organised several workshops on topics such as the diversity of Portuguese wines and is committed to reducing its carbon footprint during the event.
As such, organisers will recycle all corks and cardboard and, through a partnership with Red Wine, reuse the wine's components to make products such as fertilisers.
The last edition took place in Paris in 2023 and brought together 68 countries and over 4,000 in-person participants, with the final's live broadcast attracting a further 250,000 views.
Last year, the wine sector placed 726 million litres of wine on the market for domestic consumption and export, a reduction of 23 million litres compared with 2024, according to figures released by the Institute of Vine and Wine (IVV) in March.
This result reflects the balance between growth of over six million litres in Portuguese wine (1.1 %) and a reduction of 29 million litres in imported wines (18.4 %).
Of the total placed on the market, 82% was Portuguese wine and 18% was imported.
In turn, sales of wine with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status from mainland Portugal accounted for 52.3% of the total.
This will be the 18th edition of the event, which the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale organises, and the Portuguese Sommeliers' Association is a founding member.
PE/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
