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Maximilian Wilm, operations manager and sommelier of Kinfelts Kitchen&Wine from Hamburg has won the "Sommelier Cup 2020" of the German Wine Institute (DWI). Second place went to Sebastian Lübbert from Stuttgart, followed by Patrick Wilhelm from Bensheim.
With more than 40 wine experts and junior staff from the catering and retail sectors, the DWI set a new record this year. This year, the field of participants together achieved a total of ten stars and 290 points in Gault Millau, the German Wine Institute wrote. The decision was made in a two-day competition on 26 and 27 January at the Atrium Hotel in Mainz.
Here, the participants first had to demonstrate extensive knowledge of the typical grape variety characteristics of German wines, had to have structural data on viticulture and the wine market at hand and demonstrated their knowledge of winemaking and wine law. Further focal points were tasks concerning wine and food as well as the characterisation of renowned German wine locations. This was followed by tastings where wines from all German growing regions had to be classified according to origin, vintage and grape variety. In addition, there was a rarity tasting with white wines, some of which had matured for over 20 years.
In the final round, the three finalists tasted and described two concealed wines, gave food recommendations for three given wines and answered technical questions within 90 seconds. The expert jury consisting of representatives of Sommelier-Union Deutschland, the German Wine and Sommelier School, the Heidelberg Hotel Management School, a German Wine Professional and trade journalists evaluated the tasks and chose the winner.
The winners received cash prizes worth a total of 3,250 euros. As the winner of the competition, Maximilian Wilm was also allowed to participate in the "Sommelier Summer Class 2020", the annual meeting of international sommeliers in Geisenheim. He has already won first place in the competition of the Sommelier Union in 2019.
(uka / Photo: German Wine Institute)