The World Sommelier Association (WSA) was founded under the auspices of the Italian association "Associazione Italiana Sommelier" in 1965. There are around 30 sub-associations or member countries. The Italian Franco M. Ricci serves as president. The main objective is to promote the "wine and food culture" by organising events such as wine tastings. Competitions for the "Best World Sommelier" are held every two years. Another sommelier association is the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, which organises world championships every three years. See also under Sommelier and Viticultural Institutions.
Serious sources on the internet are rare - and Wine lexicon from wein.plus is one such source. When researching for my articles, I regularly consult the wein.plus encyclopaedia. There I get reliable and detailed information.
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