Suraj GC started his hospitality journey at Elephant Hill. He is now head sommelier at Park Hyatt Auckland's signature restaurant, Onemata, and has just been named New Zealand's Sommelier of the Year for 2024.
Suraj GC started his hospitality journey at Elephant Hill. He is now head sommelier at Park Hyatt Auckland's signature restaurant, Onemata, and has just been named New Zealand's Sommelier of the Year for 2024.
Last year’s runner-up described the feeling of taking the top honour this time as ‘mind-blowing’.
The NZ Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association held its annual competition, the NZ Sommelier Awards, over the weekend.
Eleven Kiwi candidates, two guest sommeliers from Japan and another from Australia undertook a full day of challenges to demonstrate their skills and attempt to win the prestigious industry title.
A sommelier is a broad term for a person who has been specifically trained in and acquired a professional understanding of wine service.
The breadth of knowledge and experience of those at the sector’s forefront gives them the credentials to taste and create wine lists for hospitality venues, choose what wines to serve and what dishes to pair with them, and train staff on the finer details of wine service.
Suraj GC was raised in the alpine city of Pokhara, Nepal. Speaking after his win, he said: “I feel truly blessed to be able to also represent my home country Nepal, where the wine industry has just begun.
He spent five years working at the Te Awanga winery, where he was promoted to head waiter before taking the reins as restaurant manager.
Suraj was also able to gain permanent residency while he worked in Hawke’s Bay.
“During this time Elephant Hill was awarded Best Winery Restaurant in New Zealand and two hats from the prestigious Cuisine Awards. Wine became an integral part of my life and I started to study at WSET [Wine & Spirit Education Trust] and gained Court of Master Sommeliers certification,” says Suraj.
In 2019, Suraj was offered the role of head sommelier for the Park Hyatt Auckland and moved north to continue his professional development at the luxury hotel.
Suraj was also granted a scholarship in 2022 to attend a three-day boot camp in Malaysia, held by the Association of Sommeliers International (ASI).
The annual boot camp allows sommeliers to engage with industry professionals from around the world and participate in workshops, masterclasses and other educational opportunities to further develop their skills.
“I am very grateful to the New Zealand Sommelier Association for providing such incredible opportunities and hosting amazing competitions to an international standard,” Suraj said.
“It has been such a mind-blowing feeling to win the Best Sommelier of New Zealand 2024, after being the runner-up in 2023.”
The Park Hyatt Auckland in Wynyard Quarter. Photo / Park Hyatt Auckland
Celia Hay, New Zealand Sommeliers and Wine Professionals Association president, said it was important to acknowledge those who work in hospitality.
“While New Zealand wine is exported to all parts of the globe and wins international awards, we must not forget to acknowledge people working in restaurants, bars and bottle shops who sell wine every day.”
She said the NZ Sommelier Awards provided a platform to showcase New Zealand’s talented wine professionals and the career paths that can be forged within the industry.
“Suraj GC epitomises this pathway, which started by chance when he was employed as a part-time waiter while studying computer systems, and with self-motivation and dedication enabled him to build a career trajectory that finds him as head sommelier and wine buyer, with an enormous budget, at one of New Zealand leading international hotels,” Hay said.
“Suraj’s story and that of the other 13 competitors offers inspiration and validation to the opportunities that exist in hospitality and tourism careers.”
Tom Rose is a digital producer and editorial assistant for the NZ Herald, who covers lifestyle, entertainment, and travel.
