Looking for the best food and sherry pairing

FREIBURG IM BREISGAU  The candidate teams for the German final of the international gastronomy competition "Copa Jerez" have been announced. They will compete against each other on 5 May in the Allianz Arena and present their three-course menus with matching sherry pairings. Well-known experts such as Mona Schrader (Sommelierè Jante**, Hanover), Stevan Paul (journalist and gastronomy expert), Yvonne Heistermann (President of the Sommelier­ Union Deutschland e.V. and sommelière) and others will accompany the competition as judges. Visitors can expect a unique gastronomic spectacle on this day in the Allianz Arena with the three high-calibre specialist events "Chef of the Year", "Spain Fusion" and "Copa Jerez".

Three teams compete

The Copa Jerez, a collaboration between CRDO JEREZ and ICEX - Wine from Spain, is considered Europe's leading competition for sherry wines and is internationally recognised. The German preliminary round will take place on 5 May 2024 as part of the renowned gastronomic event "Chef of the Year" at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Until mid-April, chefs and sommeliers from all over Germany had the chance to apply for a place in the competition - they had to submit a menu proposal with matching sherry pairing. The three teams whose proposals stood out for their particular creativity and quality will now compete live at the Allianz Arena in Munich on 5 May. They will present their three-course menu with matching sherry pairing to the expert jury. The winning team will go through to the international final of the "Copa Jerez", where they will have to compete against candidates from six other countries.

The candidate teams:

• Jan Nachtigall (Chef de Partie, Teko by Lange Rodriguez, Essen) and Lily Hartley (Sommèliere, Teko by Lange Rodriguez, Essen)
• Jerome Becht (Head Chef, Brasserie Moulins, Dorint Parkhotel, Bad Vilbel) and Jonas Graf (Sommelier and Restaurant Manager, Brasserie Moulins, Dorint Parkhotel, Bad Vilbel)
• Michael Deml (Sous Chef, Restaurant Nouille, Rosenheim) and Manuel Vogel (Wine Consultant, Galeria Markthalle, Karlsruhe)

The jury:

• Jury president Mona Schrader (Sommelierè Jante**, Hanover)
• Star chef Tony Hohlfeld (Jante**, Hanover)
• Author and gastronomy expert Stevan Paul from Hamburg.
• Yvonne Heistermann, president of the Sommelier­ Union Deutschland e. V. and sommelière, Stevan Paul from Hamburg.V. and Sommelière, Karlsruhe
• Sherry expert Patricia de la Puerta, Fedejerez, Jerez, Spain.
• Pablo Calvo, Head of the ICEX Wine from Spain Department // Spanish Economic and Commercial Department in Düsseldorf

International competition final in Spain

The winning team of the national final will represent Germany at the 11th international final of the competition, which will take place in May 2025 as part of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition in Spain. There they will compete against teams from Denmark, the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. A unique career boost and the chance to present themselves on an international stage.

On 5 May 2024, the Allianz Arena will be transformed into a vibrant temple of gastronomy. The three high-calibre trade events "Chef of the Year", "Spain Fusion" and the "Copa Jerez" will attract top restaurateurs from Germany and abroad. Visitors can expect breathtaking live cooking, exciting exhibitor areas, Spanish product diversity, expert seminars and, of course, culinary delights. Some of the country's best-known top chefs will be there, such as René Frank (CODA Dessert Fine Dining**, Berlin), Tohru Nakamura (Tohru in der Schreiberei**, Munich), Jan Hartwig (JAN***, Munich) Mike Suesser (TV chef), top chef and visionary Heiko Antoniewicz, Rosina Ostler (Alois - Dallmayr Fine Dining**, Munich), three-star legend Dieter Müller and many more. A unique experience to fully immerse yourself in the world of top gastronomy.

Tickets are available at: www.kochdesjahres.de/tickets