Maximiliano Pérez Named Best Sommelier of Latin America, Champions Wine Accessibility
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Maximiliano Pérez, head sommelier at Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, was named Best Sommelier of Latin America by 50 Best Restaurants.
- Pérez emphasizes his role in guiding diners through Argentina's diverse wine regions and making wine accessible, regardless of price.
- He shared his journey into the wine world, starting from a curiosity sparked by a tasting course and evolving into a passion for communicating through wine, history, and geography.
Maximiliano Pérez, the head sommelier at Faena Hotel Buenos Aires, has been honored as the Best Sommelier of Latin America by the prestigious 50 Best Restaurants organization. The award recognizes his unique approach to curating wine lists, which the organization describes as a "geographical and cultural expedition through Argentina." Pérez is lauded not just as an expert, but as a curator and narrator who invites diners to explore the country's vast viticultural diversity.
Your approach turns the wine list into a geographical and cultural expedition through Argentina. More than an expert, he acts as a curator and narrator, inviting diners to discover the vast viticultural diversity of Argentina.
On Argentina's Sommelier Day, June 3, Pérez's achievement highlights the evolving role of sommeliers in the country's gastronomy. He actively works to dispel common misconceptions about his profession, such as the idea that sommeliers only promote expensive wines or create inaccessible menus. Pérez defines his daily task as being highly perceptive, able to "read the table in three or four seconds" to offer precise suggestions and service.
"What matters most to me when I walk through all the restaurants at night is that I see wine on the tables. It doesn't matter if it's expensive, cheap, mid-price; what matters is that there is wine on the table," Pérez stated. This philosophy underscores his commitment to making wine an integral and enjoyable part of the dining experience for everyone, irrespective of their budget.
My job is based on being perceptive to read the table in three or four seconds at most, to be very precise in my suggestion and my service.
Pérez's own path into the wine industry began with a tasting course at a now-defunct wine shop called Savoy. Initially working in administrative roles and studying journalism, he found his true calling when he realized that wine allowed him to connect his interests in history, geography, and chemistry. This realization led him to pursue formal sommelier education, graduating in 2010, and ultimately finding his passion for communication through the world of wine.
What matters most to me when I walk through all the restaurants at night is that I see wine on the tables. It doesn't matter if it's expensive, cheap, mid-price, what matters is that there is wine on the table.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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