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ҚазақшаSilver at LGCF The Best Sommelier of Great Steppe 2025
Vintage head sommelier Elena Shtepa took second place at the international sommelier competition in Baku among champions from five countries.
The international sommelier competition LGCF The Best Sommelier of Great Steppe 2025 took place in Baku, bringing together national champions from five countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.
Elena Shtepa — head sommelier of Vintage, co-founder of the IWINE school and winner of The Great Steppe Kyrgyzstan 2025 — took second place. First place went to Ravshan Sabirov from Uzbekistan — congratulations on a well-deserved win!
How the competition worked
Contestants faced demanding rounds: blind tasting, identifying grapes and regions, and food pairing. For the first time, runners-up from the national rounds were also allowed to compete — and Kyrgyzstan finalist Nestan Adylbekova (Hyatt Regency Bishkek) reached the grand final too.
What it means for Vintage guests
The same knowledge and standards tested at international competitions underpin our wine list, our tastings and IWINE courses — in Bishkek and in Almaty. Congratulations to Elena and every participant: wine brings people together, and this is just the beginning.
