Fourteen Queenstowners are among New Zealand’s best sommeliers — and one’s been singled out.
The 2025 Louis Roederer Champagne Top 100 Sommeliers is the most comprehensive list of top-ranking wine professionals across the country ever released.
Based on nominees’ experience, career and educational achievements, day-to-day responsibilities and performance in competition, Top 100 Sommeliers uses an aggregated points system to come up with the list.
Locals who made the cut are Guilio Barducci (Toast & Oak), who was also named as one of the top five ‘ones to watch’, Penelope ‘PJ’ Johnson (La Rumbla), Claire Abbott (Rata), Jeremy Olsen (Botswana Butchery), Marek Przyborek and Caitlyn Waters (Amisfield), Manjul Sharma, Jim Turner, Miguel Borges and Caterina Foscoli (The Lodge Bar by Rodd & Gunn), Carolina Front (Sherwood), Francesco Accurso (Kinross), Marisol Caceres Urrutia (Clubhouse at The Hills), Harriet Gray (Nest Kitchen & Bar) and Damien Louis (Blanket Bay).
