News
Dimitri Nalin of Fouquet's Wins the 8th Ruinart Sommelier Challenge
On 27 October 2026, Dimitri Nalin, chef sommelier at Fouquet's, claimed victory at the 8th edition of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge, a blind-tasting competition centred on rosé champagne.
What happened
On 27 October 2026, Dimitri Nalin, chef sommelier at Fouquet's, was named the winner of the 8th edition of the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge. The competition brought together 23 participants in a blind-tasting format devoted entirely to rosé champagne. Across the tasting, competitors were required to navigate four distinct production styles: rosé de saignée, rosé de macération, rosé d'assemblage, and vin gris. Nalin's performance across this breadth of styles secured his victory, and he succeeds Brice Beuzeville-Loiseau, chef sommelier at Racine, who had claimed the title the previous year.
Why it matters
The Ruinart Sommelier Challenge occupies a singular position in the French sommelier calendar. As an annual blind-tasting competition organised by one of champagne's most established houses, it demands a level of technical precision that extends well beyond the ability to identify a single style or vintage. By anchoring the 2026 edition firmly in the world of rosé, the competition required participants to distinguish between production methods that can yield wines of markedly different character — from the structure and depth associated with saignée to the delicacy of vin gris. Nalin's victory is a demonstration of command across that full spectrum, achieved under the unforgiving conditions of a blind tasting against 22 fellow professionals.
Context
Now in its eighth year, the Ruinart Sommelier Challenge has established itself as a focused examination of champagne expertise rather than a broad survey of the wine world. The decision to concentrate the 2026 edition on rosé reflects the growing complexity of that category, which encompasses a range of winemaking approaches rather than a single unified style. Brice Beuzeville-Loiseau, the defending champion from Racine, had set a high benchmark. Nalin's success at Fouquet's, one of France's most prominent dining addresses, adds a further chapter to a competition that continues to draw the country's leading sommelier talent.