"Discipline and passion - without them, you stay in the same place", - Simona Česen, The Best Sommelier of Slovenia 2025
- Vasylysa YILMAZ DipWSET
- Dec 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Simona Česen - the Best Sommelier of Slovenia 2025 - gained her sommelier education at the Society for the Development of Beer Culture - Sommelier of Slovenia, where she completed all three levels of training, earning the title of third-level sommelier. She also holds the WSET Level 3 certificate. In 2024, the international sommelier association ASI (Association de la Sommellerie Internationale) selected her as a promising candidate for the ASI Bootcamp, a program of workshops and tastings held in Seville, Spain. Simona continues to build her knowledge in practice as the head sommelier at Wine Bar Šuklje in Ljubljana. In 2026 Simona will be representing Slovenia at the World Sommelier Championship and in 2027 at the Best Sommelier of Europe. We had a chance to congratulate Simona and chat about her plans.
Congratulations once again on becoming the Best Sommelière of Slovenia! Looking back, what would you say was the most challenging part of reaching this point?
Thank you for the congratulations. The most challenging part, I would say, was discipline - staying focused on my own tasks and continuously building my knowledge.
As I understand, you will now represent Slovenia at the World (2026) and European (2027) Sommelier Championships. How do you prepare for competitions of this level?
I don’t know exactly yet, but I will do my best 🙂 Of course, I need to prepare and improve my serving skills, blind tastings, and knowledge. Some candidates from other countries prepare for this kind of competition for many years. I have only ten months for the World Competition (ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World will take place on 11 - 17 October 2026 at Lisbon, Portugal).
How did your journey as a wine professional begin? When did you realise that this was your passion and that you wanted to continue on this path?
In general, I love doing different things. Starting as a wine professional was just going with the flow. But that flow grabbed me, and I don’t want to lose it 🙂 When I do something, I want to dig deeper and learn more, and then 1 + 1 becomes 2. In my case - a sommelier 🙂
How do you continue developing your expertise? Are there particular resources, mentors, or experiences that have shaped your growth?
In Slovenia, we have a few great people who believe in me: some other sommeliers, winemakers - and they want to help. I’ve been lucky to work with some of them, like the Šuklje family and Ožbej Peterle WeinAkademiker, as well as the team from the Sommelier Slovenia Association, with Valentin Bufolin as the head. Over the years, you also get to know other wine professionals who become mentors in their own way. In the end, the wine world is very small, and we all become friends. And of course, the ASI Bootcamp in Seville last year helped me a lot!
You are well known as the head sommelier at Wine Bar Šuklje in Ljubljana. Do you have any additional wine-related projects? We would love to hear more about them.
Right now, my focus is on two things: my job as a sommelier and my preparation for the World Competition in 2026.
How do you approach food and wine pairing: do you start with the wine, the dish, or treat both equally? I know it’s a bit like asking a musician whether they begin with lyrics or melody…
It depends. A musician sometimes begins with the melody, other times with the lyrics. It’s similar here. Sometimes you get the menu and look for the wine to match the dish; other times you have the wine and then create the dish around it. I prefer the first approach - searching for the wine 🙂 It feels more like home to me.
Which skills do you find most essential for a successful sommelier?
Discipline and passion. Without them, you stay in the same place. If your nose and palate are working, the rest can be achieved - just practice and keep learning.
Is there anything you would like to add? Thank you very much for your time and for sharing your insights and experience!
Thank you for the opportunity for this interview 🙂
Photo by Matic Erzen
