Chambar Restaurant’s Jason Yamasaki Awarded “Best Sommelier in BC” Distinction
First Annual CAPS Competition to Send One Canadian to Compete for “Best Sommelier in the World” in 2015

The Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS) in partnership with Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) has named Chambar Restaurant Sommelier, Jason Yamasaki, “Best Sommelier in BC”.

On November 3, 2014, 14 of the province’s top sommeliers gathered on Vancouver’s Granville Island for a morning of written theory and blind tasting exams. After compiling scores, the group was narrowed down to three candidates: Chambar’s Jason Yamasaki, Unsworth Vineyard’s Chris Turyk, and CinCin’s Shane Taylor. The competition then moved into a tense afternoon of Sommelierie testing including: sparkling and decantation service, food and wine pairing, wine list correction, and verbal blind tasting of 5 beverages. Principal judges, Ontario’s Bruce Wallner MS, Barbara Philip MW, and CAPS BC President, Michelle Bouffard, tabulated the final scores and declared Yamasaki the provincial winner.

In addition to being honored at the 2015 Vancouver International Wine Festival as “Best Sommelier in BC”, Yamasaki will also represent British Columbia in the “Best Sommelier in Canada” competition in Ontario in the spring of 2015, and could potentially represent Canada at the world competition.