Marina Kitchen is proud to announce that in-house sommelier and bar manager, Joshua Orr, has advanced as one of 25 young sommeliers in the nation to compete in the second round of the Chaine des Ri´tisseurs 2013 Young Sommelier Competition. The competition kicked off on December 8, 2012, with an online written exam, from which the top scoring sommeliers were selected.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized as one of the country’s top 25 young sommeliers,” commented Joshua Orr. “It is with great esteem that I move onto the second round and I hope to advance to the finals as the West’s regional winner.”
The Chaine des Ri´tisseurs is the world’s oldest international gastronomic society, founded in Paris in 1248. It is devoted to preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table and to promoting excellence in all areas of the hospitality arts. Each year the society sponsors young chef and sommelier competitions that attract contestants from throughout the world, while the Chaine Foundation provides scholarships for students in these fields.
The competition’s next stage will be held between January and March, 2013, in six of the Chaine’s regions, which includes the far West, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, South Central, and Hawaii/Pacific. Members of the Chaine will have an opportunity to meet the young men and women during this time and will select one representative from each region. Orr is one of three young sommeliers representing the far West, in addition to Laura Buerkle (The Grand Del Mar, San Diego) and Will Costello (Mardarin Oriental, Las Vegas). Winners of the regional competition will advance to the finals, which will be held at the Societe Mondiale du Vin annual meeting in Sonoma, California on May 4, 2013.
posted by Tiffany Haslacker
01/23/2013
