The regional finals were held last week in Bristol, two London venues and Stafford.
The 2014 semi-finalists are:

Loic Avril, The Fat Duck, Bray
Romain Bourger, The Vineyard at Stockcross, Newbury
Lukasz Kolodziejczyk, Pollen Street Social, London W1
Olivier Marie, Coq d’Argent, London EC2
Stefan Neumann, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London SW1
Adam Pawlowski, Northcote, Blackburn
Emanuel Pesqueira, Summer Lodge, Dorchester
Damien Trinquel, Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Chippenham
Roberto Zanca, Hotel du Vin, Cheltenham

They will be joined by Tobias Brauweiler, The Ritz, London W1 (2013 runner-up), Kathrine Larsen (2013 Young Sommelier of the Year), and Tanguy Martin, Hotel TerraVina, Southampton (winner of 2014 Chaînes des Rôtisseurs Young Sommelier of the Year).

Moët & Chandon marketing director Elsa Corbineau commented: “The standard of this year’s regional finalists was extremely high and we are particularly pleased to welcome back some of last year’s entrants, but it’s also rewarding to see some new sommeliers coming through as they start to climb the ranks of their profession.”

This is the third year that Moët & Chandon has sponsored the competition, and the first time the Champagne House will take all 12 semi-finalists to its cellars in Epernay for a tour and tasting of past vintages with Chef de Cave Benoît Gouez. In addition all the sommeliers who entered this year’s Moët UK Sommelier of the Year have been invited to a lunch hosted by the London Wine Fair at Olympia on 2 June 2014.

The 12 sommeliers will now compete in the semi-finals at London’s Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park on 12 June 2014, which will see them whittled down to just three. The final three will contest the grand final in the afternoon, in front of an audience of invited guests.

The panel of judges at the semi-finals and final will be chaired by Gerard Bassett OBE, MS, MW, MBA and winner of Best Sommelier in the World 2010.

The Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Maison Moët & Chandon to taste the Grand Vintage collections with chef de cave Benoît Gouez, followed by a gourmet dinner at Moët’s Château de Saran. The winner also receives the Boutinot bursary, which this year includes a study visit to Piedmonte in Italy accompanied by Clement Robert and Boutinot’s master sommelier Nigel Wilkinson.