Meet the Champion: Philipp Reinstaller

Fresh from winning the UK Sommelier of the Year competition, which was held in London last week, we caught up with 2024 champion Philipp Reinstaller – head sommelier at Mauro Colagreco at Raffles at The OWO – to find out how he kept his nerve during the final, why he has his sights set on the world title, and which celebrity he served Krug to.

What first ignited your passion for wine?

I didn’t come from a wine background. I studied tourism in Austria then moved to Munich to work as a waiter at the two Michelin-starred Tantris, which is where my love of wine developed. Canadian sommelier Justin Leone was the head somm at the time. He’s a real character – he wore striking suits, including one with rabbits on at Easter, and wrote a book on pairing wine with music. We’d do blind tastings together and his knowledge really impressed me.

Who have your biggest mentors been?

My biggest mentor was definitely Isa Bal MS, during my time at Trivet - who I highly respect and look up to. He is the best sommelier I know and taught me a lot. Justin at Tantris was an important early mentor, as were Stefan Neumann MS and Vincenzo Arnese, who I worked with at Dinner by Heston. Working there was like being at hospitality school. We often had 120 in for lunch and 160 for dinner, so you learn quickly. I was part of the Raffles opening team with Vincenzo when he moved there.

How did you prepare for the UK Sommelier of the Year competition?

From the moment I signed up I started to get into the mindset for it. I did a few training sessions with colleagues and previous winners, including last year’s champion Agnieska Swiecka, to get into competition mode. Reducing stress levels and getting into the right mindset was really important for me. I reached the final 12 of the competition in 2022 and prepared this year by watching videos of other sommelier competitions on YouTube to see how the sommeliers behaved on stage. You need to approach the service side of the competition as if you’re on the restaurant floor, pretending that the stage and the crowd aren’t there and remaining razor focused on the guests. The best training is to be on the restaurant floor as every day is different.

How did you hold your nerve during the final?

The hardest part was passing the theory and tasting elements of the competition and getting into the final six. I found the service aspect easier. The final was a closely fought battle between myself, Dion Wai of Raffles and Maria Boumpa of Da Terra. I went first, which helped, as you don’t have time to get in your head. Watching the other two was nerve-wracking, as you see how good they are and realise the mistakes you’ve made. But you can make a mistake in this competition and still go on to win it.

What did it feel like when you were announced as the winner?

It was a big surprise to win. I was surprised to be in the top six as I didn’t do so well in the theory test, so you never know how things will go. There was a big crowd of over 140 people, but I only noticed them at the end when they started clapping. It felt incredible to win; it took a few days for it to sink it. I celebrated with a few beers afterwards as I’d had enough wine for one day.

Has winning made you hungry to compete in other competitions?

Yes! That’s the dream. I’d like to take part in the Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa competition in a few years. My Raffles colleague, Vincenzo Arnese, is representing the UK in it this year. I’ve also got my sights on the Best Sommelier of the World trophy.

What advice would you give somms who want to take part in the UK competition?

It’s important to stay calm and understand that it’s not an exam; it’s a competition. The time pressure is hard, but you can make mistakes and still move forward in the competition and win. Watching the finals of sommelier competitions on YouTube is a really useful way of preparing for it. Keep an open mind and keep reading and learning – a study group is a great way to do this. The most important thing is to enter and give it a go as you have nothing to lose.

What’s been the proudest moment of your career so far?

Winning the UK Sommelier of the Year competition for sure. My phone was pinging a lot the next day with people congratulating me. I didn’t realise what a big deal winning was until the day after the competition. We have a very supportive industry in the UK.

What do you enjoy most about being a sommelier?

I love the travel aspect and getting to experience different cultures. I went to Burgundy for the first time this year and it was even better than I imagined, as was Piemonte. I was lucky enough to go to Georgia last year, which was incredible. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming, and we had fantastic food, great wine and good conversations.

What career advice would you give sommeliers entering the industry?

Find a mentor to look up to and learn from: people are more important than places when you’re first starting out. Don’t shoot too quickly for a high position; take your time to find a sommelier who will mentor you as you progress through your career.

What qualities are essential to succeed as a sommelier?

You need to stay humble and put your personal tastes aside and focus on the guest.

You have to be able to read the customer and give them what they want, which comes with experience. It’s important to gauge when it’s the right moment to share knowledge and when to leave a customer alone and just let them enjoy the wine.

Have you ever served any celebrities?

I’m usually off work when all the big celebs come in. I missed Adele and Christoph Waltz, who plays the bad guy in Django Unchained. It would have been great to meet him as we’re both Austrian. I got to serve a glass of Krug to Morgan Freeman though…

What are your future goals within the wine industry?  

My two big goals are to win an international sommelier competition and to become a Master Sommelier. I passed the Advanced Certificate in 2021 and am currently prepping for the MS exams.

What’s your favourite food and wine match?

I really like ribeye with white Bordeaux because it cuts through the fat of the steak, while the waxiness of the Semillon in the blend complements it. Aged white Burgundy and blue cheese, and fried chicken and Champagne are also hard to beat.

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Check out our other news and winners from the competition below...

Before we moved onto the live final, our top 6 candidates competed in the Semi Finals, and had to complete 3 tasks: Blind Tasting, Service & Pouring. The 6 semi-finalists were:

Beatrice Bessi – Chiltern Firehouse

Dion Wai – Raffles London

Luca Bocca – Sketch

Maria Boumpa – Da Terra

Melania Battiston – Cornus

Philipp Reinstaller – Raffles London

All six semi-finalists were gifted an IWSC branded Sparkling Device from our sponsor, Coravin.

After the Semi Finals concluded, our judges reviewed scores and selected the top 3 to move onto the Live Final. The final 3 candidates had to complete the following tasks on stage, in front of an audience of 140 members of the hospitality industry, including fellow candidates: Wine List Correction, Blind Tasting, Bar, Service, Food & Wine Pairing and of course, the famous Champagne Pour. The 3 finalists were:

3rd place: Maria Boumpa – Da Terra
2nd place: Dion Wai – Raffles London
1st place: Philipp Reinstaller – Raffles London


Pictured above is Nicolas Clerc MS, President of the UK Sommelier Academy, with the 3 finalists.

In 10th-4th place were...
10th place: Yancheng Liu - Masion Estelle
9th place: Kristina Gladilina - Lita Bistro 
8th place: Valentina Picon - Raffles London
7th place: Daniel Stojcic - Estelle Manor 
6th place: Luca Bocca - Sketch
5th place: Beatrice Betti - Chiltern Firehouse 
4th place: Melania Battiston - Cornus 



Our top 10 sommeliers were gifted 2 books from Acadamie Du Vin Library as well as a beautiful engraved corkscrew from Chateau Laguiole.

The Awards didn't stop there! Before announcing Philipp as the winner - and handing over his stylish decanter from our friends at Glencairn, we awarded 4 Best Perfomer Trophies - taken from the Quarter Finals & Semi Finals, see below...

Best Performer - Tasting Task, sponsored by Chateau D'Esclans: Maria Boumpa – Da Terra



Best Performer - Food & Wine Matching Task, sponsored by Amathus Drinks: Charlie Richards - Claridge's



Best Performer - Theory Task, sponsored by Bibendum: Maria Boumpa – Da Terra



Best Performer - Service Task, sponsored by Moet Hennessy UK: Philipp Reinstaller – Raffles London



Congratulations to all participants and winners - and thank you to our sponsors.

Until next year...eyes peeled for announcements!