Tell us about your background and how you got into wine?
I was born in Brčko, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because of the war, my family and I spent two years as refugees in Rijeka, Croatia, before eventually moving to Austria.
My first steps in hospitality were not glamorous. I started from the bottom, working hard and learning every part of the profession.
Wine gradually became much more than simply a beverage for me. It became a way to understand geography, history, culture, people and gastronomy.
I was fascinated by the fact that one bottle could tell the story of a place, family, a vintage and sometimes several generations. That fascination eventually became a passion and later my profession.
What has been your wine career up to now?
Suvad Zlatic has won a number of major sommelier competitions on his way to becoming a Master Sommelier
My career has been a long journey of education, competition, teaching and entrepreneurship. Over the years, I have worked as a sommelier, wine educator, consultant, presenter and retailer. I have trained thousands of hospitality professionals and wine enthusiasts through seminars and educational programmes.
Some of the most important milestones in my career include becoming Austria’s Best Sommelier several times, winning the European title of Ambassadeur du Champagne in 2015 as the first Austrian to do so, finishing third at the Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa competition in Cyprus in 2021, and finishing ninth at the World Sommelier Championship in Paris in 2023.
In 2024, I also won the Hungarian Sommelier Grand Prix as an international guest competitor.
Alongside competitions and education, I have built two companies together with my fiancée, Jasmina Angelini.
Suwine, based in Austria, combines wine retail, education, consulting and events, while Concept Genius d.o.o., based in Croatia, specialises in the development and production of premium delicacies and gourmet products.
On June 21, after 12 years of preparation, I finally passed the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination in Vienna.
Why did you want to be a sommelier, and what training did you do to become one?
I wanted to become a sommelier because the profession connects so many different worlds. You need knowledge, communication skills, hospitality, psychology, discipline, curiosity and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
A great sommelier is not there to show how much they know. A great sommelier uses their knowledge to create a memorable experience for the guest.
My education included professional sommelier qualifications in Austria, followed by many specialised programmes in wine, Champagne, sake, spirits and gastronomy.
I started my journey with the Court of Master Sommeliers in London. I passed the Certified Sommelier Examination in February 2014 and the Advanced Sommelier Examination in November of the same year.
From that moment, the Master Sommelier Diploma became one of my greatest professional goals.
Congratulations on becoming a Master Sommelier. Why did you want to take the next step and train to be a Master Sommelier?
Suvad Zlatic was named as a Master Sommelier in June 2026
For me, becoming a Master Sommelier was never only about having two letters after my name.
It was about discovering how far I could push myself. I wanted to improve my knowledge, my tasting ability, my service skills and also my mental strength.
The examination forces you to confront your weaknesses. You cannot hide behind the areas you already know well. You must continue developing until your overall standard becomes stronger and more consistent.
A decisive moment came during a training session in London in 2024, when Master Sommelier Edouard Oger told us: “Make it happen. If I can do it, you can do it as well.”
Those words stayed with me. From that moment, I decided to stop looking for excuses.
There would be no reason why I could not study consistently, every day, with a clear structure, discipline and organisation.
I also wanted to prove that your background does not define your limits. I came from a refugee family, started from the bottom in hospitality and had no shortcuts available to me.
Passing the examination was therefore not only a professional achievement. It was also a deeply personal confirmation that discipline, patience and persistence can change your life.
How did you find the study and training involved?
Suvad Zlatic with the other five sommeliers who were named Master Sommeliers in June including Michele Fazari, Adam Michocki, Amar Boudjaoui, Michał Drozdowski and Réza Nahaboo
The preparation was extremely intense.
The biggest challenge is the enormous range of knowledge required. You are not only studying wine regions and appellations. You must understand producers, vintages, winemaking, legislation, spirits, beer, sake, cider, service standards, business principles and food pairing.
Blind tasting requires a completely different form of training. It is not enough to identify a wine once. You must develop a structured method that works consistently under pressure.
Service training also demands precision, confidence, speed and emotional control. During the examination, even simple tasks can become difficult because of the pressure and the limited time.
For many years, studying became part of my everyday life. I studied early in the morning, late at night, during journeys and between seminars.
I tasted constantly, created questions, worked with maps, practised oral examinations and analysed every mistake.
At one stage, I realised that it would be almost impossible for me to complete this journey by training only with colleagues in Austria. The perspective on the global wine world and the availability of many international wines were naturally limited.
I therefore made a conscious decision to contact colleagues on several continents who were pursuing the same goal with the same intensity.
We trained together, exchanged questions, challenged each other and shared different perspectives on wine, tasting and service.
Thankfully, this international approach worked, and I am certain that it was one of the decisive factors in helping me pass the examination.
The preparation required an enormous amount of sacrifice, not only from me but also from my family and the people around me.
What have been the most challenging aspects of being a Master Sommelier?
Suvad Zlatic says the training to be a Master Sommelier is intense but also hugely rewarding in what it teaches you about yourself
The most challenging aspect was maintaining motivation over such a long period. The journey was not 12 years of constant success. There were setbacks, disappointments, sacrifices and moments when I questioned whether the goal was still possible.
At certain points, competitions also distracted me from my main objective. Competitions brought me valuable experience, but I eventually had to make a clear decision and return my full focus to the Master Sommelier Diploma.
Another major challenge was learning to manage pressure. At this level, knowledge alone is not enough. You must be able to access that knowledge at exactly the right moment, even when your heart is racing and the clock is working against you.
The examination teaches humility. No matter how much you know, there is always another region, producer, vintage or detail waiting to remind you how much more there is to learn.
Since becoming a Master Sommelier, I feel even more humility, responsibility and gratitude in everything I do.
Of course, I am extremely proud and thankful to carry this title. At the same time, I now approach my daily responsibilities, decisions and future plans with even greater modesty and awareness.
For me, the title is not permission to believe that I have arrived. It is a responsibility to continue learning, remain grounded and represent the profession in the best possible way.
What is the most rewarding aspect of the training and now that you are a Master Sommelier?
The most rewarding moment was knowing that all the years of sacrifice finally had a meaning.
When I received the result, I thought about my family, my mentors and all the people who had supported me through the difficult moments. This achievement belongs to them as well.
The training has completely changed the way I think, taste, teach and communicate.
It has made me more structured, more disciplined and also more humble.
However, I could never have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, how much this title would mean to people from the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
Since passing the examination, I have received countless messages, emails and telephone calls from people throughout the region.
Many told me that my achievement had motivated them to continue, to begin again or to believe that their own goals might also be possible.
They told me that they are excited about what the future may bring and that they see this success as something that belongs not only to me, but to the entire region.
For me personally, this has been the greatest reward and the greatest motivation to do even better in the future.
Now that I am a Master Sommelier, one of my greatest responsibilities is to use this experience to help other people.
I want future candidates to benefit not only from my successes, but also from my mistakes. Knowledge becomes truly valuable when you share it.
What advice would you give to other MS students about what they need to succeed - the key steps they need to take and focus on?
Suvad Zlatic says training to be a Master Sommelier and taking part in major competitions also opens you up to the whole international sommelier community
The first piece of advice is to understand that there is no shortcut.
Consistency is more important than occasional periods of extreme motivation. Studying for one hour every day over several years is more powerful than studying 10 hours a day for only a few weeks.
Candidates should build a clear structure for theory, tasting and service. They should constantly analyse their weaknesses and avoid spending all their time studying the subjects they already enjoy.
It is also essential to practise under realistic examination conditions. Pressure must become part of the training. You need timed tastings, oral questions, service scenarios and honest feedback from people who are prepared to challenge you.
I would strongly recommend looking beyond your own city or country when building a training network.
The Master Sommelier examination is international, and your preparation should also be international.
Training with colleagues from different countries and continents gives you access to new perspectives, different wines, alternative tasting approaches and a much broader understanding of the global wine world.
I would also tell candidates to protect their mental and physical health. Sleep, movement, breathing exercises and recovery are not separate from the preparation. They are part of the preparation.
Finally, never allow one unsuccessful attempt to define you. Failure is information. Analyse it honestly, adjust your strategy and continue. Stop looking for excuses and find a way to make it happen.
How do you hope becoming an MS will help in your career?
The title opens new possibilities, but it also creates new responsibilities.
I hope it will help me expand my international work as an educator, consultant, presenter and ambassador for wine, Champagne, sake and hospitality.
Supporting the next generation is extremely important to me. I want young sommeliers and hospitality professionals to have access to knowledge, encouragement and opportunities that can help them develop their full potential.
From the very beginning, one principle has guided both my professional and personal life: “Anyone who makes others feel small will never become truly great themselves.”
For me, this is much more than a motto. It is a way of life.
True success is not about standing above other people. It is about helping others grow, sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for the people who come after us.
I particularly want to support young professionals from Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and the wider region of the former Yugoslavia.
There is enormous talent in this part of Europe, but many young professionals do not always have access to international networks, mentors, wines or educational opportunities. The reaction to my success has shown me how important representation can be.
When people see that someone with a similar background has achieved something that once seemed impossible, it can change how they see their own future.
Through my work, I hope to build bridges between producers, hospitality professionals, students and wine lovers.
At the same time, I want to continue developing Suwine and Concept Genius and creating experiences and products that make fine wine, gastronomy and education exciting, personal and accessible.
I now feel an even greater obligation to use the title with humility, remain grounded and create something meaningful for the people who have placed their trust in me.
Who have been the most important people in your career in helping you achieve this success?
Ronan Sayburn MS has played a huge role in helping Suvad Zlatic achieve his Master Sommelier goal
This achievement is far from an individual accomplishment.
It was only possible because of extraordinary people who generously shared their knowledge, time and encouragement.
Ronan Sayburn MS has been an enormous role model for me from the very first day. He is still a role model today, and I am certain that he always will be.
His feedback throughout my journey was worth its weight in gold. I must honestly admit that there were some pieces of advice I only fully understood several years later. That may sound incredible, but it is absolutely true.
The more experience I gained, the more clearly I understood the depth and importance of his words.
For that reason, it was especially meaningful and emotional for me to receive my final feedback after passing the Master Sommelier examination directly from Ronan.
It was a moment that meant an enormous amount to me and one that I will never forget.
A heartfelt thank you also goes to Amar Boudjaoui MS, Meiyu Li, Réza Nahaboo MS, Sotiris Neofytidis MS, Andreas Rosendal MS, Michel Fazari MS, Roberto Duran MS, Fabien Mene MS, Tony Lécuroux MS, Kristijan Harjač and Agnieszka Świecka MS.
Every training session, every question, every piece of feedback and every word of encouragement helped shape this journey.
I am also extremely grateful to Edouard Oger MS, Bryan Julian MS, Bryan Dawes MS, Adam
Pawlowski MS, Helga Schröder MS, Alexander Koblinger MS and Dimitri Mesnard MS, who played important roles during different stages of my development.
I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Wolfgang Mimm, my English and presentation coach, who has supported me since my vocational school days in 1998. For almost three decades, he has accompanied me through my examinations, competitions and professional presentations.
He helped me not only to improve my English, but also to communicate with greater confidence, clarity and authenticity in front of an audience and under pressure. His commitment, patience and belief in me have played an important role throughout my entire professional journey.
Having someone who has supported my development from my earliest days in hospitality through to the Master Sommelier examination is something incredibly special, and I will always be grateful for his guidance.
My deepest gratitude goes to my fiancée, Jasmina Angelini.
During the final months of my preparation, she took responsibility for both of our companies so that I could have the time and mental space required to prepare properly for the examination. She stood beside me during the moments when I was ready to give up and carried an enormous responsibility within our companies for many years so that I could pursue this dream.
I will never forget her love, her belief in me and the sacrifices she made. Nobody becomes a Master Sommelier alone.
Anything else to say?
Suvad Zlatic hopes his success as a Master Sommelier can act as an inspiration to others to follow their dreams
Passing the Master Sommelier examination is not the end of my journey. In many ways, it feels like the beginning of a new chapter.
The title is a great honour, but it does not mean that the learning stops.
The world of wine is constantly changing, and there will always be new vintages, regions, producers and ideas to discover.
Since receiving the title, I have become even more aware of the importance of humility, responsibility and remaining grounded.
I am incredibly thankful and proud to be allowed to carry the title of Master Sommelier, but I also understand that people now look at my work, my decisions and my behaviour with different expectations.
That motivates me to carry out every daily task with even greater care and to plan the future with an even stronger sense of responsibility.
I also hope my story can encourage people who come from difficult circumstances. Your starting point does not have to determine your destination.
I spent two years as a refugee and later it took me 12 years to reach this particular goal.
There were many difficult moments along the way, but I never stopped believing that it was possible.
Dreams are important, but dreams alone are not enough. They need discipline, sacrifice, patience and daily action.
Most importantly, this achievement has shown me that success becomes much more meaningful when it inspires other people.
The countless messages from people throughout the former Yugoslavia have given me a new responsibility and an even greater motivation for the future.
I want to use everything I have learned to support others, create opportunities and show that even the most ambitious goals can become possible when you remain consistent and refuse to give up.
* To find out more about the Master Sommelier programme and other sommelier training courses go to the Court of Master Sommeliers website here.
