In the Drink
Arvid Rosengren of Charlie Bird, The Best Sommelier in the World
This week on In the Drink, host Joe Campanale is joined in the studio by Arvid Rosengren, the Best Sommelier in the World!
Born and raised in the south of Sweden, Arvid initially studied Nanotechnology Engineering but figured out half-way through that working with his true passion – food and wine – would be preferable to wearing a lab coat. He spent two years at the Grythyttan School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts, while doing stints at some of the better restaurants in Scandinavia. After a brief time in Stockholm and a period at the Hotel du Vin in the UK, Arvid settled in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he spent the next six years growing from the floor sommelier of a busy restaurant to wine director for an ambitious group of almost a dozen establishments. Nearing thirty, Arvid had become a bit restless, and again needed to get away from spreadsheets and back on the floor, with the guests and the bottles. The possibility to go to New York and work came rather unexpectedly, but the allure was strong. Currently, Arvid spends most nights pushing bottles at Charlie Bird on the western edge of SoHo.
Arvid is one of the most merited sommeliers in the world, holding a range of competition wins and titles, the latest and greatest being the Best Sommelier in the World, a competition held every three years for candidates representing close to sixty countries. It tests theoretical knowledge, blind tastings of various beverages and practical service skills.
"As you know, the best sommelier is whoever does a good job making his guests' experience better for the evening, so most of my favorite sommeliers in the world aren't competing." [3:35] – Arvid Rosengren