Mission: The Best USA Sommelier Association (BUSA) exists to select the best sommelier in the United States. It will conduct and maintain the competition in order to choose the best sommelier in the USA. In doing so, it will be the de facto American chapter of the Association de la Sommelliere Internationale (ASI).
Vision: To execute world-class sommelier competitions, preparing United States based sommeliers unparalleled preparation, enabling our sommeliers to compete with the world’s best at the highest level.
Legal Status: BUSA is a limited liability corporation, based in Kansas; LLC and 501C6 applications have been filled to legalize corporate and non-profit status.
BUSA will be governed by the following guidelines
Best USA Sommelier Association is a 501C6 organization governed by the rules of IRS designated tax status.Members are any sommeliers, past or present, who wish to join and are willing…
The Board
Sara d’Amato
Writer, Wine Critic, Educator, Sommelier Sara is a Toronto-based wine consultant, educator, sommelier, wine critic and principal partner with WineAlign.com,…
Laura DePasquale MS
Vice President/General Manager Art Fine Wine FloridaA Division of Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits “My hospitality career began as a…
Alejandro Ferris Wallis
Passionate Leader driven by core values. An F&B innovator and wine psychic, currently is Director for the Academia de Sommelier…
Doug Frost MS, MW
Jack of All Trades, Master of Two (or Three?) Doug Frost is a Master of Wine and Master Sommelier as…
Tim Gaiser MS
Tim Gaiser is an internationally renowned wine expert and lecturer. He is one of 269 individuals worldwide to ever attain…
Evan Goldstein, MS
Wine Educator-in-Chief Evan Goldstein calls himself “trilingual x 3:” He “speaks” three languages – wine, food, and wine-and-food pairings –…
Alexander LaPratt MS
While many sommeliers have paid their dues as waiters or captains, few have donned a chef’s jacket in a professional…
Douglass Miller
Douglass Miller has over 30 years of industry experience in restaurants, hotels, resorts, and education. He has worked around the…
Véronique Rivest
Véronique Rivest is one of the most respected sommeliers in Canada and abroad. Since her very first restaurant job at…
Cheryl Stanley
Cheryl Stanley is a lecturer in food and beverage management at The Hotel School, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business…