{"id":43323,"date":"2026-01-14T18:44:35","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T17:44:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/?p=43323"},"modified":"2026-04-10T17:56:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T15:56:45","slug":"meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The small Baltic nation might seem like an unlikely home for the world\u2019s best sommelier, but then you haven\u2019t met Raimonds Tomsons.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It seems ironic considering his word-perfect English today that Raimonds Tomsons\u2019 life as a sommelier began with a missed linguistic opportunity<\/strong>: \u201cAfter secondary school, my plan was to study foreign languages, but it didn\u2019t work out.\u201d Instead, he found himself in a professional school training as a waiter and bartender. A detour that, with time, would prove to be a destiny.<\/p>\n

Rather than speak of \u201ceureka moments,\u201d Raimonds prefers to credit the two figures who shaped his sommelier journey, which began in 2000 when he walked into Vincent\u2019s restaurant<\/strong>. It was there, in the Baltic\u2019s first fine-dining restaurant, that he fell in love with hospitality \u2014 and then with wine \u2014 when meeting the restaurant\u2019s inaugural sommelier \u201cwhose passion definitely inspired me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon after, he came under the wing of chef Martins Ritins \u2014 a towering personality in the Latvian gastronomy scene who became far more than a mentor: \u201cHe was like my second father, a perfectionist who taught me the right work and life ethics. He encouraged me to study and take part in competitions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ritins also opened doors, sending Tomsons to Noma and facilitating visits to leading European restaurants at a time when the Latvian wine scene was still nascent.<\/p>\n

From Lindeman\u2019s to Ch\u00e2teau d\u2019Yquem<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Most of us like to imagine that our first encounter with wine involved an exclusive Bordeaux or Champagne. The truth is usually far less glamorous. Latvia at the turn of the century certainly didn\u2019t offer such a prestigious rite of passage. \u201cThe market was dominated by big brands and a handful of revered French and Italian wines. One of the first wines I tried was Lindeman\u2019s 65 Chardonnay. I remember wondering how wine could taste of pineapple, butter and vanilla!\u201d<\/p>\n

With his curiosity piqued, competitions entered his life almost organically, starting with national contests in 2005. The Best Sommelier of Europe competition followed in 2008 in Bulgaria, bringing his first \u201ccold shower\u201d \u2014 the realisation that improvisation was not an option. The real turning point, however, came in Santiago de Chile at the 2010 Best Sommelier of the World competition. \u201cWatching the late G\u00e9rard Basset winning the final so gracefully and elegantly was the moment I thought it could be within my reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

What followed was a 13-year ascent marked by near-monastic discipline, and the unwavering support of his family. He developed his plan meticulously with a long-term vision, then built his life around it. With a family, a demanding role as sommelier and little leisure time, the only quiet hours were before dawn. \u201cImagine waking up during winter when it\u2019s cold, damp and dark outside and everyone is sleeping. You ask yourself \u2014 is this going to work and why am I doing this? You have to overcome that.\u201d The first results soon eased his doubts: \u201cWhen you see yourself shaping up as a sommelier and your knowledge and confidence are growing, it\u2019s like the pump you experience after a good session at the gym!\u201d<\/p>\n

Those feelings only intensified as he finished seventh in Mendoza in 2016, then third in Antwerp in 2019. The build-up to the 2023 championship in Paris reflects his single-minded determination and ability to combine knowledge with physical and mental conditioning \u2014 prerequisites, he says, for winning. When the ultimate accolade finally crowned his years of dedication, his first emotion was unexpectedly one of relief: \u201cIn a positive way. Imagine accomplishing one of the most important goals in your professional life. I wish everyone could experience what I felt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentee to mentor<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reaching the pinnacle of one\u2019s career opens vast opportunities \u2014 and often a shift in perspective. \u201cMy viewpoint as a sommelier hasn\u2019t changed. What has changed are the opportunities you\u2019re given after winning, and the challenge of choosing those you accept and those you kindly refuse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The title also brings expectations: \u201cI feel it\u2019s a huge responsibility. People see you as an ambassador, an inspiration, an example.\u201d Equally important, he adds, is \u201ckeeping your feet firmly on the ground and trying not to lose the essence of being a sommelier,\u201d especially as he now sees his role as mentoring and inspiring \u201cyoung ambitious sommeliers who take you as an example. It\u2019s important to give back to the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Paris, Raimonds\u2019 life did indeed change. He stepped into the role of wine buyer at Barents Wine Collectors in Riga, and chose to give more time back to his family. \u201cI miss the dining floor sometimes \u2014 seeing guests leave happy is a great feeling \u2014 but working with importers and distributors is so interesting and dynamic. And I get to spend evenings with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new role offers other rewards too: \u201cYou can educate yourself without the pressure of competition. You can speak with growers and sometimes learn things you would never learn in a book, and then bring those stories back to your colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n

Human connection and life experience also shape Raimonds\u2019 approach to hospitality. \u201cBeyond all the knowledge, what makes a great sommelier is understanding each client \u2014 and that can take different forms. You need to be humble, try to understand what your guests are telling you and leave your ego at home every time you put on your sommelier attire.\u201d<\/p>\n

In an industry where consumers often feel intimidated, not only by the language of wine but also its rituals, Raimonds\u2019 philosophy is refreshingly approachable. \u201cPeople with simple wine knowledge need simple explanations. The art of a great sommelier is to compare what\u2019s in the glass with things from real life that make sense to that particular person. Sometimes wine terminology has to go out the window.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sommelier<\/p>\n

Credit: Raimonds Tomsons<\/p>\n

Dismissing dogma<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

His approach to food and wine pairing follows the same logic: \u201cI think it\u2019s overcomplicated. Yes, there are certain guidelines and laws \u2014 elements in food and wine do react with each other. Is there such a thing as a perfect pairing? Yes and no. Ultimately it\u2019s very subjective, and personally I\u2019ve always followed my feelings.\u201d White Burgundy with steak in a peppercorn sauce? \u201cWill it be a perfect match? Probably not, but who cares?\u201d<\/p>\n

He may be dismissive of dogma, yet his respect for \u201ctruly magical\u201d food and wine moments is tangible. Guided more by intuition and open-mindedness, some of his most memorable combinations defy textbook logic: Ch\u00e2teau d\u2019Yquem with honey-glazed suckling pig at Osteria Francescana, or wagyu carpaccio with yuzu ponzu sauce, wasabi and lime paired with single-vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon blanc at Vincent\u2019s. \u201cWhen pairing, you need to stay open-minded and break some of the stereotypes \u2014 you\u2019ll have a much better experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The wines currently stocked in his fridge mirror his curiosity: underrated corners of Southern Italy; modern wines from Spain that debunk the myth of excessive alcohol and extraction; Chenin blanc and Muscadet from the Loire; Languedoc and Greece.<\/p>\n

One category, however, is unlikely to appear there: low-alcohol or non-alcoholic. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m wrong and the techniques will improve and we\u2019ll experience something where price and quality align. But at the moment, I don\u2019t feel they deliver pleasure for the money.\u201d He also questions another prevailing trend, hoping the more extreme aspects of premiumisation will ease: \u201cWhat really concerns me is that the wine world is becoming more inaccessible to the majority of wine lovers. I really hope that at some point the bubble will burst.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for his future plans, they are likely to remain under wraps: \u201cI prefer to share them when I\u2019ve accomplished them rather than on social media. For me, you have your ambitions, your goals, your plan and you work hard. Trust me, the world will find out, respect you for it and congratulate you when the right moment comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"personne<\/p>\n

Credit: Raimonds Tomsons<\/p>\n

About Sharon Nagel<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

British-born Sharon Nagel<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The small Baltic nation might seem like an unlikely home for the world\u2019s best sommelier, but then you haven\u2019t met Raimonds Tomsons. It seems ironic considering his word-perfect English today that Raimonds Tomsons\u2019 life as a sommelier (\u2026)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":41238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[344],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faces","format-article"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMeet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The small Baltic nation might seem like an unlikely home for the world\u2019s best sommelier, but then you haven\u2019t met Raimonds Tomsons. It seems ironic considering his word-perfect English today that Raimonds Tomsons\u2019 life as a sommelier (\u2026)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Vinexposium\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-14T17:44:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-10T15:56:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Julien Likiliki\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Julien Likiliki\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/\",\"name\":\"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-14T17:44:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-10T15:56:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8a395f58bccb6869e796034aac7d3c2d\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png\",\"width\":900,\"height\":550,\"caption\":\"(C) Ragelis-16-03-54-2_Full\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia!\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"Vinexposium\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium","og_description":"The small Baltic nation might seem like an unlikely home for the world\u2019s best sommelier, but then you haven\u2019t met Raimonds Tomsons. It seems ironic considering his word-perfect English today that Raimonds Tomsons\u2019 life as a sommelier (\u2026)","og_url":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/","og_site_name":"Vinexposium","article_published_time":"2026-01-14T17:44:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-10T15:56:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":550,"url":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Julien Likiliki","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Julien Likiliki","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/","url":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/","name":"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia! – Vinexposium","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png","datePublished":"2026-01-14T17:44:35+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-10T15:56:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8a395f58bccb6869e796034aac7d3c2d"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/137.png","width":900,"height":550,"caption":"(C) Ragelis-16-03-54-2_Full"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/actus\/faces\/meet-the-worlds-best-sommelier-hes-from-latvia\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Meet the world\u2019s best sommelier \u2014 He\u2019s from Latvia!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/","name":"Vinexposium","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43323"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43324,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43323\/revisions\/43324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vinexposium.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}