Thanks to documentaries like Somm and Uncorked, the drinking public has become aware of the competitive side of the wine business, where aspiring master sommeliers vie to achieve the highest rank in their chosen profession. While they’re generally not actually competing against each other in these multipart wine tests of palate and knowledge, it can be gripping to see the amount of work and stress involved in studying to reach for the ultimate achievement in the wine biz.
That’s the idea behind an upcoming event presented by the Nashville Wine Auction to help raise funds to support local organizations that provide care for cancer patients.
The Somm Showdown will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, beginning at 11:30 a.m. in the Wesley Mortgage Club at Nissan Stadium. (Don’t worry, the Titans are on the road that day and play a late game against the Chargers.)
Six local wine experts will compete to be named top somm by progressing through three rounds, with the field cut down by two after each round. Here’s what they’ll be going through over the course of the comp:
Round One
The six sommelier contestants will demonstrate their wine-and-food-pairing skills by selecting a wine to pair with a chef-prepared dish. Somms will be able to showcase the wine of their choice, so you can expect to learn about new and exciting bottles! Judges and audience members will taste the six paired combinations and vote for the best pairing. The four highest scorers move on to the next round.
Round Two
Four sommelier competitors will dazzle the audience and judges with their wine knowledge in a Jeopardy!-style wine quiz. The two highest scoring contestants move on to the final round of the competition.
Round Three
The final two remaining contenders will do what somms do and blind taste two to three wines. They’ll analyze, describe and identify the wines by grape, country, region and vintage. Audience members will also get to blind taste the wines and see how their skills stack up to the professionals. The sommelier who correctly gets the most details wins.
An experienced panel of judges will rate the performance of the competitors in each round, and moderating the event will be Jonathan Ross (a master sommelier, wine importer and the current wine director for the Twelve-Thirty Club) and Calvin Webster (a wine consultant with a WSET Level 4 Diploma).
Best of all, event attendees will get to drink along with the competitors, tasting the same wines and paired plates. The top two finishers will win cash prizes that they can use to advance their wine education.
Contestants must have at least five years of experience working in the industry, and will be selected through an application and screening process to ensure the competition will be fierce. Applications are still being accepted through next Friday, Aug. 16, so if you’re up for the challenge, apply here.
If you’d want to be in that number when the somms come marching in, tickets are available at the event website.
