Jérôme Faure Recognised as a 2026 Leading Light in Wine in Hospitality
Some careers are measured in years. Others are measured in the people they inspire.
For Jérôme Faure, wine has always been about far more than what is in the glass. It is about knowledge shared, curiosity encouraged, experiences created and a profession passed from one generation to the next.
It is this wider contribution to wine and hospitality that has now earned Jérôme one of the most distinctive personal recognitions in the industry: he has been named a 2026 Leading Light for Wine in Hospitality by The World’s Best Wine Lists, presented by The World of Fine Wine.
Jérôme is the Leading Light for the Middle East and Africa, one of six individuals recognised globally across the publication's regions.
The Leading Light Awards were created to shine a light on the people behind the world's great wine lists, the restaurateurs, sommeliers and hospitality professionals whose personality, philosophy, knowledge and influence give those lists their character. Now in their second year, the awards look beyond the wine list itself to recognise individuals whose contribution extends into the wider hospitality community.
For Jérôme, the recognition is a reflection of a career devoted not only to wine, but to the people and stories that surround it.
A life dedicated to wine
Jérôme's journey in wine began in France, where his early training in culinary arts led him towards sommellerie and a passion for understanding the relationship between food, wine and hospitality.
His career has since taken him across continents and into the world of luxury hospitality, with wine remaining at its centre.
At Constance Hotels & Resorts, where Jérôme has spent more than two decades of his career, he has played a defining role in developing the group's wine culture. But perhaps his most lasting contribution lies beyond the bottles and cellars: in the knowledge he has shared and the sommeliers he has helped nurture along the way.
A firm believer in transmission, Jérôme has consistently championed the importance of education within the profession. His commitment to developing sommeliers and creating opportunities for young talent has also contributed to the growth of the wine community in Mauritius, including through his involvement in the Association des Sommeliers de l'île Maurice and the development of the Best Sommelier of Mauritius competition.
It is this combination of expertise and generosity of knowledge that makes the Leading Light recognition particularly meaningful.
More than a wine list
The judges of The World's Best Wine Lists have long recognised that an exceptional wine list is rarely the work of a single bottle, vintage or appellation. Behind it is a person with a point of view, someone who understands not only what belongs on the list, but why it belongs there.
The Leading Light Awards were created to recognise precisely that.
Jérôme's distinction therefore celebrates not simply his expertise as a sommelier, but his influence on the profession around him: his curiosity, his dedication to learning, his passion for sharing and his commitment to creating meaningful wine experiences.
For those who have worked alongside him, these qualities are perhaps most evident in the way he approaches his craft: with precision, enthusiasm and an instinctive desire to bring others into the conversation.
A recognition of influence
Receiving the Leading Light Award places Jérôme among a select group of six individuals recognised across the world's regions in 2026.
The award will be presented during the World's Best Wine Lists ceremony at The Savoy in London on 21 September 2026.
For Constance Hotels & Resorts, the recognition is a proud moment. For Jérôme, it is a celebration of something much larger than a title: a lifelong relationship with wine, a profession he continues to shape, and the many people with whom he has shared his passion along the way.
Because ultimately, great wine is not only about what is poured. It is about what is shared.