19 November 2024 / Ádám Geri
The European Sommelier Championship in Belgrade, organised by Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), i.e. the International Sommelier Association, has just ended. Sebastian managed to achieve an impressive 16th place overall, which is also the best result ever for Hungary. How was it to experience the competition from the inside?
MIHÁLY LIPPAI: First and foremost, it is important to note that although it is commonly referred to as the European Sommelier Championship, it is in fact the ASI competition which brings together Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It can be considered a European Championship because Europe almost always wins, as it does at the World Championships. The results show that Europe is ahead of the rest of the world in the sommelier profession. The competition in Belgrade was very well organised. There was not nearly as much about pomp as, for example, at the 2022 World Championships in Paris, but perhaps that was not to be expected. But I think it was great that everything was organised in a single hotel in the Serbian capital: the accommodation sponsor hosted the tournament, the masterclasses and the meals - all complemented by excellent organisation.
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: I am extremely tired. These competitions are tense and tiring, even if everything happens extremely fast. For example, one serving task lasted only two minutes, but those two minutes were the culmination of a year of preparation. Nevertheless, an international competition is a great experience, as the cream of the profession is taking part. These colleagues, like me, have won their own country's qualifiers, so they come here as champions. I was very surprised, when I was told afterwards that despite the strong field, I was one of the secret favourites. I had no idea that my work was being followed so closely.
(Photo: ASI official pictures)
Are you disappointed that you didn't make it to the semi-finals and that the first round was the end of the line for you?
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: I would have liked to have at least made it that far, so obviously I’m a bit sad. But I did my very best. Plus it was a joint project, I had a lot of support from a lot of people. The Hungarian Sommelier Club has been by my side all the time, I have tasted wines in various restaurants over the past year, I have trained with Zsolt Bartalics every month, but several other colleagues have also trained with me. I believe that every Hungarian sommelier who helped me prepare has also become a better professional. I am certainly much better than I was a year ago.
MIHÁLY LIPPAI: As I said, the field for the European Championships is as strong as the World Championships. So much so, that although those who have already earned the highest qualification in the profession, Master Sommelier, are also participating, there is no guarantee that they will come out on top. The competition is so close that in many cases it is form on the day that will determine the outcome.
You've been preparing for this competition practically since the Hungarian qualification competition in November 2023. Was there anything that surprised you in Belgrade?
MIHÁLY LIPPAI: We knew that the classic wine regions, the historic wine-producing countries - Spain, France and Italy - would be relegated to the background, because every sommelier should know them by heart. But we didn't expect them to go so unquestioned. In fact, Australia, New Zealand and Chile, moreover, don't really feature in the assignments anymore either. Instead, the "test flight" is really honed down to the most detailed knowledge. This year, the serving task was also something new: it was not in the style of fine dining restaurants, but of wine bars, and instead of the usual 100 millilitres, 150 millilitres had to be poured into the glass in just two minutes. Thus, it makes little difference what the competitor's previous qualifications are, as these extreme situations are very difficult to practise. You either have this competitive ability or you don’t. There was a good reason why people said it was harder to reach the final in Belgrade than to win it. You had to beat forty people to reach the final, and then only two to win the final.
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: At the end, we had to blind taste three wines in a total of ten minutes. We were given classic wines that were not clearly identifiable. This is well illustrated by the fact that all my fellow competitors who I spoke to gave very different answers. It was also unusual that for the eight-minute, full description exercise there was Champagne in the glass. You have to use completely different terms here than for still wines, you had to pivot very quickly. And the written test was almost impossible to prepare for. It wasn't just questions about wine, we had to account for our knowledge of spirits, coffee, tea, mineral water and even fining agents for wine. You get the impression that competing sommeliers must also be baristas or even viticulturists.
Why might such a wide range of knowledge be required? Are restaurants now also expecting their sommeliers to be well versed in everything?
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: The special thing about ASI competitions is always that you have to be able to understand everything that can be drunk. Of course, the focus is still on wine, but we're sure to get a question about coffee, and that's also a "must know in depth". I wonder if baristas would have known, for example, how many degrees the temperature difference is between the so-called first crack and second crack during roasting.
Is someone really a better sommelier at the restaurant table if they know about roasting temperatures?
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: There is no doubt that whoever wins the European Championship is a very good sommelier at the table. His knowledge is very complex, and he doesn't have to run to the bartender for help when someone orders a cocktail from him. A professional who can react competently to any situation, who is not afraid to recommend and talk about other drinks as well as wine, will really enliven a guest’s experience. However, there's no doubt about it: to win the competition, you have to put in a lot of effort into learning things you'll probably never use at the table. But that's the way it is, it's a competition, it's what you have to do if you want to win.
(Photo: Gábor Kovács/Hungarian Sommelier Club)
How can you even prepare and train for this?
LIPPAI MIHÁLY: The only good preparation is to solve real problems in real life situations and to compete. For the past year, restaurants in Budapest have been helping Sebastian with blind tastings and situational "games". Moreover, we deliberately scheduled the joint international competition of the Hungarian Sommelier Club and the Hungarian Sommelier Association for October, just before the European Championship. There was an audience, fierce competition with prestigious international opponents and a world-class international wine selection - all the impetus we needed to simulate Belgrade.
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: And it's still very difficult, because the ASI is constantly evolving, always with a different focus. The semi-finalists in Belgrade had to taste beers blind. The year before last, at the World Cup in Paris, competitors were also served kombucha and kefir. The Hungarian qualifying tournament for the 2023 European Championships was high quality and up to date, but it is simply impossible to keep up with the ASI. This is understandable, though. Out of the many highly prepared entrants, they have to declare a single winner. There have to be “weird” questions to shake up the field. The odds are still even. After the quarterfinals, I spoke to virtually no colleague who could say with confidence that they would go through. Whoever eventually wins this competition really deserves it. It really is almost like the Olympics. You spend a year preparing for this, studying alongside your job, and in the end, you have to do your best in a few minutes in a tough and stressful situation.
Mihály Lippai, secretary of the Hungarian sommelier Club
What general lessons did you learn from the Belgrade competition?
MIHÁLY LIPPAI: Countries with a wider and more varied range of drinks have an advantage. In a Hungarian restaurant, the wine list is dominated by Hungarian wines, so it takes extra effort for a sommelier to learn about the international market. Thus, for example, the non-wine-producing Scandinavian countries have a strong competitive advantage, sourcing from all over the world, since they do not have wine of their own. But you also have to note how prominent Austrian, Moldavian and Portuguese wine as well as Japanese sake are in ASI competitions. These countries also provide significant financial support to the sommelier organisation, which results in greater attention not only from the ASI, but also from hotels and restaurants. The Hungarians consider themselves an internationally significant nation, nevertheless we play a very small role on the world stage.
How can the Hungarian sommelier profession benefit from competitions like the one in Belgrade?
MIHÁLY LIPPAI: Some nations, even without centuries of wine history, have built up serious brands in twenty to thirty years. Just think of Australian Shiraz, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or Austrian Grüner Veltliner. Although we have all the potential to do this, as I said, we are not yet a major player at an international level. Being credible in this market is a two-step process. You have to gain professional endorsement in the public eye. That's where the sommelier comes in, who works with and for wines all year round, not on a seasonal or campaign basis. They can educate, they can embrace trends. Ultimately, they are essential "props" for creating the Hungarian wine image. To help them do this effectively, we need to participate in these competitions and prepare the competitors to the best of our ability. This is the only way that the Hungarian sommelier community can become a global player. We boasted the largest delegation in Belgrade and were the most active in the organisation of the World Championships in Paris. All this shows the dedication of the Hungarian sommelier profession and reinforces the conviction around the world that Hungarian professionals and Hungarian wine are a force to be reckoned with.
What next, Sebastian? Will you try again?
SEBASTIAN GIRALDO MAKOVEJ: The World Championships will be held in Portugal in 2026, and I will compete in the Hungarian qualifying competition. I will do my best to represent Hungary in Portugal. My dad said after the Belgrade competition: “you only lose if you stop”. I will act accordingly.
(Cover photo: ASI official pictures)
The Hungarian team was supported by Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency during its preparation and the competition.
