France’s Pascaline Lepeltier to compete for the title of World’s Best Sommelier in 2026

mong the three candidates pre-selected to represent France at the next Best Sommelier in the World competition in Lisbon next year, Pascaline Lepeltier pipped her opponents to the post during the selection phase on September 16 at Kedge Business School in Paris. She beat the two other candidates, Bastien Debono – France’s 2024 Best Sommelier – and Florent Martin, France’s 2020 Best Sommelier and Best French Craftsman (MOF) for the sommelier trade in 2023.

Pascaline Lepeltier made it through the series of world class selection tests designed by the joint directors of the French sommelier team, David Biraud and Romain Iltis, winning a place to represent France at the international competition.

Florent Martin will be her substitute whilst the entire French team – Pascaline Lepeltier, Florent Martin, Bastien Debono and Philippe Troussard (2015 MOF) – will continue to prepare for the team title. They will meet in Lyon in November then in Armenia in the spring as part of their bid for the title in Portugal.