Luca Gardini wins the Best European Sommelier 2009

Luca Gardini from Ristorante Cracco, Milan is the winner of The Best European Sommelier Competition 2009- organised by the Worldwide Sommelier Association.

Gardini, sommelier and General Manager at Ristorante Cracco, beat off stiff competition from many of Europe top best restaurants in Republic of San Marino on November 14 and 15.

The 28-year-old from Emilia-Romagna Northern Italy, succeeded in both practical and theoretical assessments beating the final 15 professional contestants all representing their own country.

Gardini said: "It was a honour to represent Italy at this prestigious competition and I am of course delighted at the result!

"I hope my success can serve as inspiration for other aspiring sommeliers and indeed for me this is not an arrival, but a point at which to improve and get better and better".

Prior to his current role Gardini was chef sommelier at Enoteca Pinchiorri. the three-Michelin star restaurant in the old city of Florence. At present, Gardini covers the same role at the two-Michelin star Ristorantre Cracco in Milan which is one of the S.Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants.

Next is the Best Sommelier in the World competition which includes the UK's Gerard Basset MW, owner of Hotel TerraVina in Hampshire in which the best sommeliers from across the planet will go head-to-head next year in the Dominican Republic.

• Sommeliers