On March 31, 2026, the nationwide competition PIEŠŤANY CUP ĽUDOVÍT WINTER took place at the Ľudovít Winter Hotel Academy in Piešťany. It also includes the oldest junior competition JUNIOR SOMELIER, in which 25 young sommeliers from sixteen hotel schools in Slovakia and the Czech Republic applied. As the expert guarantor of the 24th year of the leading junior competition, I, in cooperation with a team of professional sommeliers, horeca specialists and winemakers, have prepared an attractive program focused on the creativity of the competitors, the ability to solve common problems of sommeliers in their future working lives, and to develop creativity, critical thinking and communication.
After the draw, the competitors took a written test. It consisted of 20 questions from the fields of viticulture, winemaking and sommeliering. The topics in the written part aimed to test the general overview of the classification of grape wine, knowledge of production and labeling of wine according to the origin of grapes with an emphasis on Slovak and Czech appellations. Wine gastronomy is mainly oriented towards quality local brands of producers, including the products used in the competition. The main product partner from Slovakia was the ELESKO winery and its wines with the protected designation of origin D.S.C. and sparkling wines produced using the traditional method. Moravian winemaking was represented by organic wines from the renowned winegrower and winemaker Pavel Binder BROTHERS WINES.
The written test was followed by an anonymous tasting of 8 wine samples. It consisted of white varietal wines Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon, Pálava, pink Merlot, and red wines Pinot Noir and Dunaj. In the tasting, the students practiced the sensitivity of their senses in describing the basic sensory properties of wine and their knowledge in determining the grape variety. Many also correctly defined the recommendation of the tasted wine to a specific dish.
The semi-final round concluded with the pairing of food and wine with professional service, where the students presented their practical experience and the correct presentation of white and red wine to guests in a restaurant. The evaluation of the results in the semi-final brought a big surprise – the four most successful competitors with the highest number of points advanced to the final, among them Kristína Malíčková and Tomáš Ďuriška (HAĽW Piešťany), Zuzana Takáčová (SOŠGaHS Farského, Bratislava) and Ondřej Vlček (Akademie hotelnictví a cestovního ruchu Plzeň). The last two semi-finalists received the same number of points in the nomination score.
The final order of the finalists was decided by two disciplines – correction of errors in the wine list and service of sparkling wine to guests in a restaurant. First place was taken by Ondřej Vlček (Akademie hotelnictví a cestovního ruchu Plzeň), second place by Kristína Malíčková (HAĽW Piešťany), third place by Zuzana Takáčová (SOŠGaHS Farského, Bratislava).
We heartily congratulate the winners and competitors! "You have given a great performance supported by active education and training of practical skills that you develop and acquire during the school year in cooperation with your teachers. Participation in school competitions gives each of you personal experience, guides your path and the necessary self-confidence. It allows you to discover the profession of sommelier and be successful on the path to your future profession. I look forward to meeting you as well as new talents in 2027!"
Ing. Vladimír Hronský, expert guarantor of the JUNIOR SOMELIER competition
Upozornenie / Warning
