On Monday, June 1st, in the Hotel Atlantic Hamburg, the Bailliage of Germany is staging its 2026 National Final of the Jeunes Sommeliers Competition.

As always, the goal of the Competition is to promote young talent, make excellence visible, and strengthen the next generation of professional sommeliers.

Programme for the Final

Sunday, May 31st
5pm - Arrival, “meet and greet” and joint dinner with the judges and the Bailli Délégué of Germany, Peter Peters.

Monday, June 1st
10am - Competition in the rooms of the Hotel Atlantic Hamburg
4pm - Award ceremony with champagne reception
6pm - Departure

Panel of Judges
All experienced Sommeliers, the Panel of Judges will be:
- Hagen Hoppenstedt, Échanson, from KaDeWe Berlin
- Maximilian Wilm, Maître Sommelier, from Kinfelts Kitchen & Wine, Hamburg
- Torsten Junker, Sommelier, from Wein am Limit, Hamburg
- Eric-Vincent Skroch, Sommelier, from Kinfelts Kitchen & Wine, Hamburg

Hagen Hoppenstedt is Sommelier at KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) located in Schöneberg, at the end of Kurfürstendamm, the German Champs Elysees. It’s the best-known luxury department store in Germany and it also happens to be the largest on the European continent. The sixth floor has the legendary “Delikatessen” department which is a brand on its own: Die Sechste. Up there, lovers of anything culinary and especially Champagne will be in heaven.

Maximilian Wilm represented Germany at the 2017 International Final in Budapest and was a member of the Panel of Judges for the 2022 and 2023 International Finals in Wiesbaden and Ljubljana respectively. Torsten Junker represented Germany at the 2014 Final in Copenhagen and Eric-Vincent Skroch was Germany’s competitor at the 2025 Final in Geneva.

The jury evaluates, among other things, a competitor’s sensory precision, their professional knowledge related to the sommelier profession and service behaviour. There is of course a practical exam involving a wine tasting. The competitor’s appearance, communication, professionalism in dealing with guests, and the confident application of international standards are also included in the overall score.

International Final 2026
When the points are tallied up, the winner will be named “2026 Best Young Sommelier of Germany”. He/she will then represent the National Bailliage at the International Final being held from October 14th-18th.

Prepared by a Chaîne News Online Staff Writer
Researched from various sources. E&OE