By Jim Boyce

Know which wine pairs with stinky tofu? Able to identify the difference between a corked wine and one that is oaked? Realize that the pros ease open – rather than pop – a bottle of sparkling wine?

Then the China National Sommelier Competition 2009, organized by Asia Wine Institute and Asia Business Group, might be for you. The contest is open to citizens of China who are aged 18 or up and who have been working in wine for a food or beverage restaurant establishment in China for at least one year. For more details and the application form, click here.

The application deadline is June 3. The finals are slated for July 7 in Shanghai with the qualifying rounds set for June 10 in Beijing and Shanghai. The winner will go to Japan to represent China in the first “best sommelier of Asia-Oceania” contest to be organized by the International Association of Sommeliers (ASI).

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