What if the next great sommelier isn’t polishing glasses in a fine dining room, but pulling pints in a pub – unaware that a world of vineyards, vintages, and possibility lies just around the corner?
MASI Future Sommelier 2025 is here to find them
Now in its second year, this full-bodied initiative from Italian family wine producer Boscaini, owner of MASI, in partnership with Sommelier Edit, is on a mission to uncork opportunity in an industry which can still feel closed off – to give fresh voices room to breathe, champion diversity, and decant the possibilities of a modern sommelier’s career.
Rooted in Place, Poured with Purpose
This year’s challenge invites young, or newly inspired hospitality professionals, to create a food pairing for both Fresco di MASI Bianco and Rosso – two expressive, bravely conceived wines which reflect MASI’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, clarity of flavour, and terroir.
Crafted from organic grapes grown in Zuane, on the right bank of the Adige – Italy’s second-longest river, both wines are harvested at the coolest hour of the day, vinified without delay, and bottled unoaked and unfiltered to preserve both freshness and purity. Light in alcohol (11-11.5%), certified vegan, and housed in MASI’s 400g bottle – a sustainable, plastic-free bottle designed by luminary designer, Piero Lissoni, one third lighter than standard glass – they are as considered in production and presentation as they are vibrant in the glass. Even the neck has been calibrated to accentuate the wine’s distinctive ‘glug’ as it is poured – a small theatrical flourish for modest, yet exacting wines.
Fresco di MASI Bianco – a precise blend of Garganega, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio – combines bright citrus, crisp apple, and pear, with a subtle nuttiness and touch of natural sweetness, and a clean mineral finish. It’s well suited to dishes with delicate acidity and a natural sweetness – such as ripe burrata with pesto, white asparagus with lemon butter, or a salad of fennel, orange and mint. It also works with gently acidic dressings, young cheeses, and light, herbal broths. Raw or lightly poached seafood – like scallop carpaccio, or trout with cucumber – also allows its sense of freshness to shine. Best avoided: bold reductions or dominant spice which may overpower its linear, lifted profile.
Fresco di MASI Rosso – a vibrant, slightly wild blend of Corvina and Merlot – showing redcurrant, macerated cherry, and a hint of forest undergrowth, lifted by an inherent freshness and engagingly crunchy tannins. This is a red which thrives on contrast and texture. It pairs particularly well with dishes built on umami or earthy depth – think mushroom risotto, grilled aubergine, or lentils with herbs. It also welcomes acidity: pickled beetroot, or duck breast with sour cherry, for example. Mid-weight proteins like seared tuna or roast guinea fowl find their footing here, too, as does smoke. Thanks to its light alcohol and brisk structure, it can also be gently chilled – a red which doesn’t mind a touch of cool.
Applicants are invited to respond to the wines’ honesty and brilliance with imaginative pairings which may reach beyond the sacrosanct recipes of Italy. The three most compelling entries will be rewarded with an immersive visit to MASI’s estates in Valpolicella – including tastings, tours, and time with the family behind the bottle. Their work will also be shared online to inspire others in the world of wine.
A Family Legacy Poured with Pride
MASI’s story began in 1772, when the Boscaini family acquired prized vineyards in the Vaio dei Masi – the small valley which lends the winery its name. Over 250 years on, MASI remains a family business, now run by the sixth and seventh generations.
Under the direction of Sandro Boscaini – known as ‘Mister Amarone’ – MASI has become a standard-bearer for the Valpolicella region, and Amarone in particular: a wine which Boscaini describes as ‘modern from an ancient art’. Indeed, MASI modernised the traditional Roman method of drying grapes before fermentation (appassimento) through its proprietary ‘NASA’ process – Natural Appassimento Super Assured – using climate-controlled, but never-heated, rooms to ensure precision and balance.
Today, MASI produces celebrated wines from some of the Veneto’s finest crus, including Mazzano and Campolongo di Torbe, while overseeing historic estates in collaboration with families such as Conti Serego Alighieri and Conti Bossi Fedrigotti. The portfolio now extends to organically farmed vineyards in Tuscany and Mendoza.
Throughout its work, MASI maintains a philosophy of ‘modernity with an ancient heart.’ Nowhere is this more evident than in its Fresco range – a dynamic, conscious expression of vineyard and place, made with a new generation of drinkers in mind.
Looking Ahead
Fresco di MASI is more than a pair of wines but a testament to MASI’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, including solar-powered production, biodiversity protection, pesticide-free viticulture, and zero-waste innovation.
MASI Future Sommelier 2025 champions values of equal pedigree – aiming to help shape a wine world which is more ethical, open and inclusive – where those who serve it are held in the same esteem as those who craft it.
Apply Now
MASI Future Sommelier 2025 is open to UK-based hospitality professionals aged 28 and under. Apply directly HERE, or nominate a colleague via: info@sommelieredit.com
Deadline: 30 June, 2025
Why This Matters
The journey to becoming a sommelier is seldom straightforward. MASI Future Sommelier exists to help clear the way, challenge reductive assumptions, and invest in the talent and perspective which will define, and enhance, the future of wine service.
Applications are open. Let the pairings begin!
