Sommelier of the Year

Raised in Pokhara, Nepal, Suraj came to New Zealand as an international student studying computer engineering in Hawke's Bay, where he worked part time as a waiter at Elephant Hill Winery Restaurant.

Over five years he worked his way up to Maitre d' then Restaurant Manager, during a period when Elephant Hill was awarded Best Winery Restaurant in New Zealand and 2 Hats from the Cuisine Awards.

"Wine became an integral part of my life and I started to study WSET and gained Court of Master Sommeliers certification," Suraj says.

In 2016 he gained permanent residency and three years later became Head Sommelier at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Auckland.

In 2022, Suraj was awarded a scholarship to attend the Association of Sommeliers International Sommelier Bootcamp in Malaysia, training under some of the best sommeliers in the world.

"I am very grateful to the New Zealand Sommelier Association for providing such incredible opportunities and hosting amazing competitions to an international standard," he says.

To take the Sommelier of the Year title, Suraj, who came runner up in 2023, worked through a full day of assessments with another 13 candidates, including two guest sommeliers from Japan and one from Australia.

He says he feels "truly blessed" to also represent Nepal, where the wine industry has just begun.

"I hope someday to inspire more Nepalese people to work in this beautiful world of wine and experience this magical journey."

As part of this award, Suraj will attend the New Zealand Winegrowers Sommit in Gisborne 2025.

nzwine.com/en/trade/tradeevents/sommit