Author: Sharon Nagel
What drives a young sommelier to subject himself to the relentless pace of high-level competitions while also managing a full-time role in a busy restaurant and co-running a wine import business? To find out, we spoke with Joris Gutierrez Garcia, recently crowned Best Sommelier of the Americas 2025.
Digging deeper into wine through daily immersion is not a chore for me, I revel in the culture.
As a teenager growing up in Montreal, Canada, Joris Gutierrez Garcia wanted to be a lifeguard. In retrospect, his athletic build and competitive spirit would prove to be unexpected assets for honing his skills as a sommelier and garnering multiple awards in the process. More marathoner than sprinter, he has painstakingly established his career over the past 15 years or so, drawing on his inquisitive nature to climb the rungs of his profession.
“There was no particular trigger, my passion for wine came gradually, out of curiosity,” he reflects. Yet the foundations were there early on: a household where wine was considered an integral part of a meal, European relatives with a keen interest in wine and a deep-rooted thirst for knowledge. There may have been no lightning-bolt epiphany but a pivotal encounter would quietly set Gutierrez Garcia on course.
While working as a waiter at Montreal’s iconic Au Pied de Cochon, he enrolled at the Quebec Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management to deepen his understanding of wine and the fundamentals of the sommelier craft. It was there that he crossed paths with Stéphane Leroux, a former Best Sommelier of Quebec, whose influence proved decisive.
“That’s where my passion truly took shape,” recalls Gutierrez Garcia, who had originally pursued studies in social sciences. The meeting may have also awakened a competitive instinct — but again, it was endurance and patience that defined his trajectory. “It took me more than 10 years to win the Best Sommelier of Quebec,” he says, noting that the contest only occurs every three years. Once that milestone was reached, however, the momentum built quickly: titles for Best Sommelier of Canada and, most recently, in 2025, of the Americas followed in short order.
“My victories came one after another, so there hasn’t been any dramatic change in my daily life,” he reflects, adding that this continuity has helped him stay grounded, even as new opportunities continue to emerge.
Credit: Joris Garcia ©ASI
A balancing act
Although he has turned down offers to join other restaurants, preferring to stay at Montreal’s Club Chasse et Pêche, he has welcomed the opportunity to do “more communications, more education, more masterclasses and more study trips.” Connecting with restaurant patrons is a crucial aspect of the sommelier profession, but Gutierrez Garcia’s true passion in wine is meeting the makers.
“Establishing a rapport with winegrowers and visiting wine regions is incredible. Wine producers are passionate people who manage to share amazing emotions and so much knowledge. Our job as sommeliers is important, but it’s fairly simple compared to theirs,” he says.
Travelling to Europe several times a year whilst also scouring the Canadian vineyards for his next gems, Gutierrez Garcia keeps his clients’ tastes front of mind when putting together his 400-strong wine list — also leaving room for his own personal touch. While the Quebec off-trade shows a willingness to explore and experiment — through Nolos or other newly-minted categories — as a sommelier, he favours tradition over innovation.
“I tend to work with the classic wine regions of France and Italy. Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone are still very popular, as are Tuscany and Piedmont. A few years ago, I would have mentioned Pet-Nats and skin-contact wines and though I still have some on the wine list, the restaurant has reverted to more classic offerings.”
Preparation for the world stage
As he gears up for the most ambitious chapter in his career so far, as a candidate for next year’s Best Sommelier of the World competition, Gutierrez Garcia approaches the challenge with calm determination. “This is something I have dreamt of for so long”, he admits, clearly energised by the prospect of pushing his knowledge of wine yet further. Swapping his marathon mindset for “sprint” tactics this time, he is delaying intensive preparation until he completes his WSET diploma curriculum.
“If I started too early, I wouldn’t be able to keep up the momentum – I have a small child and a family life – but once I start, I will give it everything I have,” he explains. In the meantime, he intends to continue to delve into wine’s limitless treasure trove of knowledge: “Digging deeper into wine through daily immersion – by reading, listening to podcasts and speaking to wine professionals – is not a chore for me, I revel in the culture.”
Buoyed by the knowledge that even the world’s greatest sommeliers like Marc Almert are continually honing their craft, Gutierrez Garcia looks forward to indulging in “the pleasure of the senses afforded by tasting such an extensive spectrum of wines. In a single second, you can travel from California to the Mosel.”
Along his journey, he relishes the opportunity to meet like-minded people who share his devotion to wine, both fellow sommeliers and wine producers. “What’s in the bottle is incredible, but for me it takes a back seat to the people who make it. The message and the work of winegrowers are so much more important than the contents of the bottle. They say “in vino veritas”, but in my opinion, it’s the human element that really counts and makes our profession so special.”
“What’s in the bottle is incredible, but for me it takes a back seat to the people who make it.”
About Sharon Nagel :
British-born Sharon Nagel has been a journalist and translator specialising in wine for 35 years. She writes for leading French online publication Vitisphere and also contributes to corporate communications.
