VBSIW 2026
A Milestone for Vietnam’s Wine Professionals

Vietnam Best Sommelier in Italian Wines 2026 concluded in Hanoi with Nguyễn Hữu Phát crowned champion and selected as Vietnam’s first representative at the Asia Best Sommelier in Italian Wines 2027, signalling a new chapter for the country’s sommelier community and its deepening engagement with Italian wine culture abroad.

A great sommelier does more than recognise a grape, identify a vintage or master the rituals of service. The true craft lies in interpretation, in understanding what a wine carries from its place of origin and translating that story with clarity, confidence and instinct.

That philosophy shaped the National Final of Vietnam Best Sommelier in Italian Wines 2026, held at Casa Italia in Hanoi on 29 September. Organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the competition returned for its second edition with a broader ambition than simply identifying the country’s most accomplished specialist in Italian wine.

From 62 applications, 46 contestants entered regional semi-finals in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Three finalists ultimately advanced to the national stage, where they faced a demanding sequence of challenges spanning blind tasting, food and wine pairing, service technique, professional communication and in-depth knowledge of Italy’s extraordinarily diverse wine landscape.

At the end of the final, Nguyễn Hữu Phát claimed the title, with Đỗ Phương Thảo named first runner-up and Đỗ Ngọc Trúc Duyên second runner-up.

For Phát, the victory opens a door beyond Vietnam. He will become the country’s first representative at the Asia Best Sommelier in Italian Wines 2027, while a study tour to Italy will take him closer to the vineyards, producers and regional traditions behind the wines he has spent years studying.

That progression gives this year’s competition a particular significance. VBSIW is no longer confined to the national stage. It is becoming a bridge between Vietnam’s developing sommelier community and a wider regional conversation around wine, hospitality and professional excellence.

The surrounding programme reflected that same spirit of exchange. An Italian wine masterclass held with Don Vino welcomed nearly 40 participants, while a dedicated tasting and exhibition space brought together sommeliers, importers, distributors and hospitality professionals.

More than a showcase of knowledge and service, VBSIW 2026 demonstrated how far the competition has evolved in just two editions. With a nationwide field, a demanding final and, for the first time, a pathway to the regional stage, it has established a stronger benchmark for sommeliers specialising in Italian wine in Vietnam.

As Nguyễn Hữu Phát prepares to represent the country at ABSIW 2027, the conclusion of VBSIW 2026 also marks the beginning of the competition’s next chapter, one that extends its ambitions beyond Vietnam and places its leading talent within a wider Asian arena.