Piero Sattanino, who graduated Best Sommelier in the World in 1971, takes his first steps in his parents’ tavern in the outskirts of Turin. He attended the Hotel School in Turin which allowed him to undertake his first internships abroad until 1966 when he embarked on the Michelangelo, Genoa – New York route, as a first-class waiter. Returning from this experience, in 1969, Piero participated in his first International Sommelier Competition, ranking second but, on the second attempt, success is not lacking. In Milan, in 1971, he won the world title.
In 1973, together with a friendly chef, he opened the Tastevin in Turin, the first restaurant where wine by the glass is served, to the amazement of the guests. Piero Sattanino is the first to let his customers try the best food-wine pairing by serving up to 5 wines during a meal, thanks to the novelty of the wine by the glass. While Piero’s career is in full development, the parents buy the Hotel Parigi in Bordighera which still today, together with the La Reserve restaurant (Bordighera), is owned by Piero Sattanino and his two sons, Davide and Mario.
To Piero Sattanino, who dedicated his life to the profession of sommelier and then hotelier, we could only ask what it means to take the path to become a sommelier to then reach the top of the world as a champion
The International Sommelier Association
The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, a non-profit making organization, was founded in Reims (France) on the 3 – 4 June 1969, and has the following aims: 1. To bring together the national sommelier associations (just one member association per country) and to promote their founding where they do not yet exist. 2) To co-ordinate actions aimed at developing and advancing the profession by various means (training courses, etc.) 3) To enhance the sommelier’s profession and educate consumers. 4)To defend the ethics of the profession
ASI participates in all events related to wine, spirits and other drinks, and is able to take any action directly or indirectly aimed at its objectives defined above. To lear more about ASI please visit the ASI official website