Luis de Santos wins Spring 2017 Sommelier Smackdown belt

Luis de Santos emerged victorious Tuesday night in the final round of the Spring 2017 Sommelier Smackdown at Wolfgang Puck Bar &Grill in Downtown Summerlin. He took the championship belt (yes, there really was a belt — these somms don’t play around) in a decisive victory, shutting out Jenna Boyer when the crowd preferred his wine choice to hers for each of the four courses.

De Santos, who works behind the scenes at Southern Glazer’s Wine &Spirits, came to the finals after vanquishing Sarah Pollock of Jasmine two-courses-to-one on March 7. Going into this event, he’d referred to himself as an underdog despite a prestigious master sommelier certification, since he’s spent the past few years concentrating on sake rather than wine, and hasn’t worked a restaurant floor in a while.

Boyer, on the other hand, is in the thick of things at her job at Puck’s Lupo at Mandalay Bay. But she also came to the finals by way of a split decision, that one on Feb. 7 over Jason Jones of the Puck Bar &Grill in MGM Grand.

While the event was nothing but fun for diners in attendance, competitors clearly took it seriously, talking trash all night, and excitedly working the room, schmoozing guests and making sure nobody’s glass got empty. The crowd ate it up, cheering loudly as the winner was announced. There were no hard feelings in the end — the pair even posed together for pictures with the belt.

“Thank God that experience, perseverance and creativity pulled me to this spot,” de Santos said of the win. He said he would take the belt into the office to show off to “those people who didn’t come to support me.”

As for whether it made him want to return to a restaurant, “Anytime. I love the floor, it’s like ballroom dancing in my own backyard.”

Boyer seemed stunned by the defeat: “I really thought I had it in the bag,” she said, adding that she wouldn’t have changed a single pairing.

Given the nearly full house, there’s little doubt another Smackdown is in the cards. But before that happens, organizers are reportedly working on a similar challenge with beer. So keep your eyes peeled for that announcement — and stay thirsty.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.