NZ Sommelier of the Year Competitions

NZ Sommelier of the Year Competitions

The New Zealand Sommelier of the Year 2018 has been won by Marek Przyborek of Huami Restaurant at Sky City.

The title was announced by Head Judge Cameron Douglas MS at the New Zealand Sommelier and Wine Professionals Awards Dinner earlier this week.

In a close-run competition, Andrea Martinisi from the Grove and Baduzzi Restaurants in Auckland and Maciej Zimny from Noble Rot in Wellington were runners-up.

Along with winning a bottle of Champagne Louis Roederer Cristal, Marek Przyborek will travel to Kyoto in October to represent New Zealand at the ASI Association of Sommeliers International Asia-Oceania Competition. New Zealand was elected as a observer member to this organization in June. Andrea Martinisi will accompany Marek Przyborek with their flights sponsored by a grant from the Hospitality Training Trust.
Maciej Zimny, winner of 2015 competition will represent New Zealand in China at the One Belt One Road Champion Sommelier Summit in Ningxia, China in September.

“This year’s victory of Marek Przyborek from Poland and runner-up Andrea Martinisi from Italy, reflects the global skills of hospitality professionals especially sommeliers as employers look offshore to find people to fill these key roles.

“Most of the competitors have completed the Wine and Spirit Education Trust programmes to level 3 or 4 and the Court of Master Sommelier certification which focuses on service and practical advise on wine and beverage pairing with food. These are now the global standards and as we can see from the finalists enable people to get work all over the world,” says Celia Hay, chair of the New Sommeliers and Wine Professionals.

Marek Przyborek has been in New Zealand since 2017 and prior to this was working in Michelin star restaurants in UK. He also won the Polish Best Sommelier competition in 2017. Andrea Martinisi has worked in UK, including The Fat Duck and was in the team that opened the Fat Duck in Melbourne in 2015. In Australia, he has also worked as the wine and tea sommelier at Vue de Monde Restaurant (3 hats). Maciej Zimny from Noble Rot in Wellington was a previous winner of the title in 2015.
For the first time in 2017, this competition was won by a woman, Stephanie Guth from the French Café.

New Zealand Junior Sommelier of the Year
Bethany Jeffries of Bistonomy Restaurant, Napier is New Zealand Junior Sommelier of the Year with runner-up Nikki Weir from the French Café. Bethany wins a trip to Misha’s Vineyard and the Central Otago wine region.

New Zealand Sommelier of the Year Competitors
Marek Przyborek: Huami, Sky City, Auckland
Adam Wirdahl: Sugar Club Sky City, Auckland
Andrea Martinisi: The Grove and Baduzzi, Auckland
Angela Allan: Oyster and Chop, Auckland
Candice Chow: Rata, Queenstown
Dusan Bradanovich: Wine Searcher, Auckland
Maciej Zimny: Noble Rot, Wellington

Junior (Under 30 years)
Bethany Jeffries: Bistronomy, Napier
Christian Parlascino: Azabu, Auckland
Emma Gyenge: Tauranga
Karan Patyal: The Northern Club, Auckland
Manet Mann: Little Jimmy’s, Auckland
Nikki Weir: The French Café, Auckland

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