12:00 – 12:30: ASI moment – ASI Volunteers, ASI Board, SCC committee, Marketing committee

Venue: Sheraton Hotel, lobby in front of White Plains rooms

13:00 – 17:00: Registration for guests (welcome bag and badges)

Venue: Sheraton Hotel, next to Reception, hotel lobby

14:00 – 18:00: Partners Welcome Fair

Venue: Rooms White Plains 3, 4, and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel
Dress code: smart casual

18:30 – 18:45: Buses to go to dinner (please note dinner is at an outside venue)

19:30: Opening Ceremony and Welcome Dinner

Venue: Hipódromo Manuel Possolo, Cascais 

Dress code: business casual (please note it is an outside venue)

20:00 – 01:30: Bar des Sommeliers

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

* All participants are required to attend all activities organized by the Sommelier Association of Portugal (AEP)

CANDIDATES ONLY (final program for candidates to be sent by the SCC)

08:00 – 08:15: Group photo for candidates

Venue: tbc

08:15 – 09:00: Registration of candidates

Venue: in front of New Orleans rooms

09:00 – 18:00: Welcome speech and start of the Quarterfinals*

Venue: New Orleans 1, 2 and 3 rooms, Sheraton Hotel

Presidents can take pictures at the beginning, 5 minutes

12:30 – 14:00 : Lunch, presentation by Casa Relvas (13:30-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton hotel

14:00 – 14:30: Individual portraits of candidates (1-22)

Venue: near masterclasses rooms (tbc)

15:30 – 16:00: Individual portraits of candidates (23-45)

Venue: near masterclasses rooms (tbc)

17:00 – 17:30: Individual portraits of candidates (46-66) 

Venue: near masterclasses rooms (tbc)

18:00 – 18:30: Individual portraits of candidates (latecomers)

Venue: near masterclasses rooms (tbc)

*Whenever finished with their quarterfinals, candidates must attend the masterclasses

PRESIDENTS/ DELEGATES/ GUESTS

08:30 – 08:45: Group picture of the presidents 

Venue: tbc (same as group picture of the candidates) 

Dress code: business casual

09:30 – 10:30: Masterclass: Aveleda, Where Family Roots Meet a Heritage of Wine, by Diogo Campilho

Venue: White Plains 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

11:00 – 12:00: Masterclass: CVR Lisboa, Lisbon Wines: Portugal’s best-kept wine secret, by Tiago Marques

Venue: White Plains 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

12:30 – 14:00: Lunch, presentation by Casa Relvas (13:30-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton hotel

14:30 – 15:30: Masterclass : Phelan Segur, Modern Evolution of Château Phélan Ségur, by Fabrice Bacquey, Cellar Master

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

16:00 – 17:00: Masterclass: Diam, The Influence of Closures on the Bottle Aging of Wines, by Alexandre Pons, Research Scientist, OENEO Group, Oenology Research Unit (UMR), Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ISVV), Bordeaux.

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

17:30 – 18:00: Masterclass: Champagne Castenau, Long Aging on the Lees by Champagne Castelnau, by Carine Bailleul, Cellar Master, Champagne Castelnau 

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

18:30 – 19:00: Masterclass: Champagne Abelé 1757, The Craftsmanship of Champagne Abelé 1757, by Etienne Eteneau, Cellar Master, Champagne Abelé 1757

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

20:00: Dinner: Typical Portuguese dinner  

Venue: Sheraton hotel
Dress code: business casual

20:00 – 01:30: Bar des Sommeliers

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton hotel

CANDIDATES ONLY (final program for candidates to be sent by the SCC)

09:00 – 18:00: Continuation of the ¼ Finals

Venue: New Orleans 1, 2 and 3 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

12:30 – 14:00 : Lunch, presentation by CVR Tavora-Varosa Murganheira (13:30-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

14:00 – 18:00: continuation* of the quarter-finals

Venue: New Orleans 1, 2 and 3 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

*Whenever finished with their quarterfinals, candidates must attend the masterclasses

PRESIDENTS/ DELEGATES/ GUESTS

09:30 – 10:30: Masterclass: Peninsula de Setúbal, Setúbal Wines Unveiled: A Journey Through a Unique Region by Aníbal Coutinho

Venue: White Plains 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

11:00 – 12:00: Masterclass : Maison Arnaud Boué, A new vision of Burgundy, by Arnaud Boué (Winemaker)

Venue: White Plains 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

12:30 – 14:00: Lunch, presentation by CVR Tavora-Varosa Murganheira (13:30-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

14:30 – 15:30: Masterclass : CVR Alentejo, Sustainable Excellence in Wine by João Barroso, Director of Sustainable Development, CVRA and Manuel Moreira, Portuguese Sommelier

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

16:00 – 17:00: Masterclass: Austrian Wine, Austria: A Paradise of Diversity by Stefan Neumann MS

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

17:30 – 18:30: Masterclass: Kopke, Port Reimagined – The Role of Port Wine in Contemporany Sommelierie by Carlos Alves and Priscila Haddad

Venue: White Plains 3, 4 and 5 rooms at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

19:15: Buses to go to dinner

20:00: 

Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award Gala Dinner

Venue: Pavilhão de Exposições da Tapada da Ajuda, Instituto Superior de Agronomia. BY INVITATION ONLY
Dress code: smart business attire/elegant dress for women

20:00 – 01:30: Bar des Sommeliers

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

 ALL GUESTS

09:30-10:30 Masterclass: Perlage Water, The Cool Climate Edge: Mineral Purity from Polish Earth to Table by Tadeusz Kwacz, with sommeliers Arkadiusz Kurowski and Joanna Ciborowska

Venue: Rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

11:00-12:00 Masterclass: Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association, How Sake Completes the Sommelier’s
Toolkit by Michael Tremblay

Venue: Rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.

Dress code: smart casual

12:00 – 13:30: Lunch, presentation by Château d’Esclans (13:00-13:30)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton hotel

14:00: Buses leaving to Oeiras (please note it is an outside venue, comfortable shoes are advised)

14:30: Master class at the Palace of Marquês de Pombal: Carcavelos Wine: Restoring a Heritage by Alexandre Lisboa and Pedro Sá

• Carcavelos Vineyard visit
• Adega

Venue: Carcavelos Vineyard, Forte da Torre

Dress code: smart casual (please note it is an outside venue, comfortable shoes are advised)

19:30: Dinner at the Palácio Oeiras: Announcement of the semifinalists

20:00 – 01:30: Bar des Sommeliers

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

SEMI-FINALISTS ONLY:

09:00 – 17:00: ½ Finals*

Venue: Rooms New Orleans 1, 2 and 3 at the Sheraton Hotel.

12:30 – 14:00: Lunch, 4 Madeira wines presentation by Justino’s (13:15-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

*Whenever finished with their semifinals, candidates must attend the masterclasses

PRESIDENT, NON-COMPETING CANDIDATES, GUESTS

09:30-10:30 Masterclass OniWines: Beyond time – The Timeless Verdicchio: Villa Bucci Through the Decades, by Natalia Fabrizzi

Venue: rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual

11:00-12:00 Masterclass: Vinhos Verdes, Vinhos Verdes: An Extensive Spectrum of Terroir-Driven Styles by Tiago Macena MW and with Dora Simões

Venue: rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual

12:00-12:30 Individual photo session of the quarterfinalists with the ASI President

Venue: in front of rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual (jacket)

12:30 – 14:00: Lunch, 4 Madeira wines presentation by Justino’s (13:15-14:00)

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

14:30 – 16:00: Masterclass: Wines of Portugal, Hidden Gems by Dirceu Vianna Jr MW

Mandatory for all non-competing contestants and presidents
Venue: rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual

16:30 – 18:00: Masterclass IVDP: Diversity of Port & Douro

By Manuel Lima Ferreira (Head of the Tasting Department at IVDP, IP) and Paulo Russell-Pinto (Wine Educator at IVDP, IP)

Mandatory for all non-competing contestants and presidents
Venue: rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual

19:00: FREE EVENING

20:00 – 01:30: Bar des Sommeliers

Venue: Panorama room, Sheraton Hotel

09:30 – 10:30: Masterclass: SoGrape, Portugal: A Country of Diversity by Dr. António Graça

Mandatory for all contestants and presidents
Venue: Rooms White Plains 3, 4 and 5 at the Sheraton Hotel.
Dress code: smart casual

11:15: Departure for the Coliseu dos Recreios, dress code for the day: business formal

11:30 – 14:15: Special Wine Tasting with Baga Friends, Douro Boys and New Dão, three groups of producers promoting excellence and quality in their regions – at Lisbon Coliseu

12:00-13:30 Light lunch

Venue: Coliseu

14:30 – 18:00: Finals of ASI Contest Best Sommelier of the World 2026

Venue: Coliseu dos Recreios

Dress code: business formal

18:00 – 18:30: Announcement of Results

18:30 – 19:00: Press Conference (for winner, finalists, jury and press representatives)

18:30: Return to Sheraton Hotel

19:00: Departure for the Carlos Lopes Pavilion

19:30 – 20:00: Partner photo call (winner, finalists, partners)

19:30 – 20:00: Welcome cocktail reception

Venue: Carlos Lopes Pavilion

20:00 – 00:00: Gala dinner

Venue: Carlos Lopes Pavilion
Dress code: business formal / elegant for women

Departure day or you are welcome to extend your stay in Portugal!