Profile | He’s the best sommelier in Asia, and at 29 the youngest. For Mason Ng, a passion for wine started early

At 29, Malaysian-born, Singapore-based Mason Ng is the youngest person – and the only one from Southeast Asia – to win Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania

He reveals why he became interested in wine at an early age, how he conducted his own blind tastings at home and where in the world he wants to open a bistro

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Mason Ng at The Best Sommelier of Asia and Oceania 2022 Competition held in Tokyo. He is the youngest person to win the award. Photo: courtesy of Mason Ng

Published: 7:15am, 20 Nov 2023

“I do not think I am gifted,” says Mason Ng, when asked about how he managed to become the youngest person – and the only one from Southeast Asia – to win the Best Sommelier of Asia & Oceania award.

Instead, the 29-year-old explains that his achievement is all down to simple hard work.

The wine director of Park90 Group in Singapore won the 2022 title in Tokyo last November, after defeating 23 other contenders from 12 countries, and ending a multi-year streak of winners from Japan.

Ng recalls that the competition, run by the International Association of Sommeliers (ASI), included two assignments he found particularly intriguing – one that had nothing to do with wine, or even alcohol.

Ng at the final stage of The Best Sommelier of Asia and Oceania 2022 competition held in Tokyo, which he went on to win. Photo: courtesy of Mason Ng

“I had to first identify three trays of coffee beans, as well as the type of roasting and the country of origin. Secondly, there was a component that entailed blind tasting five different beers in glasses that were completely black.

“The next step was for me to determine their varieties and production method [top or bottom fermented].”