ASI Vote on the return of Russian sommeliers raises questions

In late May, the ASI General Assembly was held in Taipei, Taiwan. Among the organizational issues discussed by the presidents of the national associations belonging to ASI, a motion to reinstate Russian sommeliers was unexpectedly put to a vote. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ASI had not issued any official statements regarding the status of the Russian association, and only in response to a media inquiry did it state that RAS is on hold. Now, in May, the ASI board proposed not to reinstate the entire association’s membership, but merely to allow Russian members to the next competition for the title of Europe’s Best Sommelier. This point was not listed on the agenda in advance and came as a surprise to many of the participants. Twenty-four members voted against, 16 in favor, and 8 abstained. As a result, the suspension of Russian sommeliers was extended at least until the next…