After competing live on stage at a five-day competition that took place in Lisbon on October 11-17, Norwegian sommelier Nikolai Haram Svorte was named the ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026. One week on from triumph – and having had time to recover from the epic competition (and the subsequent celebrations, no doubt wine-fuelled) – Haram Svorte speaks with The Drinking Hour podcast host David Kermode, who was in the audience for the gripping live final. The pair recap the highs and lows of a tough competition, and Haram Svorte shares how he recovered from a service stumble with a corked wine, as well as how he coped so calmly when put through his paces in the blind tasting round.
The newly crowned world’s best sommelier, who works in Norway for specialist Champagne and sparkling wine importer Remuage by Moestue, also tells listeners about his path into the craft, lured in by summers spent in France in his youth, and eventually spurred on by a passion for fine-dining. The episode also touches on Haram Svorte’s desert island wine (down to the detail of the vintage, of course), the sportsperson-like preparation that goes into a competition like this, and what the 29-year-old sommelier will do next with his new status as world number one.
Discover more episodes of The Drinking Hour with David Kermode here.
