zoom tastings usa

Registration by Email
to sa@sylvia-petz.at

Participation fee
Euro 255 per Weingut winery and two bottles of two wines 
(maximum number of participants: 10)

Kaja Scharnagl
Katja grew up in Spitz in the Wachau region and moved to the top hotel industry soon after graduating from the hotel management school in Krems. For almost 10 years she worked as Maitre d'Hotel and Head Sommelière at the 5* Burghotel Vital Oberlech in Lech am Arlberg followed by a short layover at the unrealized 5*Hotel Shangri la in Vienna before she ventured across the pond to one of the finest culinary addresses in the world: the 3-Michelin star restaurant Le Bernardin in New York. Between 2011 and 2021, she worked alongside "Best Sommelier of the World" Aldo Sohm, also from Austria, and as an assistant was soon promoted to chef sommelière. After many years on the restaurant floor, the time came for a change and so Katja started her own consulting company for sommelier services. This new role also provides her with the desired flexibility that "frau" as a young mother rarely gets in the New York restaurant industry. Katja holds the Austria Sommelier Diploma and the Advanced Diploma from CMS. When she is not preparing tastings for our joint Zoom events and other clients, she is studying for the upcoming Master Sommelier exam, which is one of the most prestigious training programs in her profession.

Photo credits: Florian Smetana

Program 2022: one click away from the international markets: N.Y.

See also the results of a broad cross-national study by the University of Geisenheim in cooperation with the Institute of Masters of Wine. That's why we also offer online tastings for professionals - sommeliers, journalists, and the trade. Stephanie Artner or Sylvia Petz will co-moderate and support the participating wineries with their presentation.  

"Thank you again for the successful & professional accompaniment at the Demeter & respekt-BIODYN tasting!" Manuel Ploder, Ploder-Rosenberg

1. NEW YORK. Ten Austrian and German winemakers will have the opportunity to present themselves to nine top Master Sommelier candidates during a tasting with Katja Scharnagl, the former Chef Sommelière at Restaurant Le Bernardin. The names of all participants as well as contact details will be made available to the participating wineries. 
2. POLAND. Together with Piotr Pietrzyk, we offer Austrian and German winemakers the opportunity to present themselves to a polish trade audience. In the near future, this will also be done in joint cooperation with Joel B. Payne in Germany and Charles Metcalfe in Portugal.
   

Focus USA

Each tasting lasts two hours. There is room for two wines from each of the ten wineries. Each winery can join the tasting via Zoom and present its wines. One wine needs to fit the theme of the tasting, the second wine can be of choice. Normal (750 ml bottles) are shipped directly from the US importer to Katja Scharnagl in New York.

The format. At first, one wine of each participating winery will be tasted blind by the group. Afterward, the Sommeliers will receive a list of the wines to match their results. This is followed by a revelation of the topic highlighting the theme of the day. Each Sommelier will then comment on one wine and present his/her result. The respective winery reveals the wine and presents itself and a second wine, which is tasted together in the group.

• Red wine: Austria/Germany country match - Spätburgunder vs. Blaufränkisch / St. Laurent
  Friday, 1 April, 4 pm CET- registration due date: March 25. 
  Registration: sa@sylvia-petz.at
  
• Rieslinge auf Schiefer aus dem Sausal und Rheinhessen
  Friday, 29 April, 4 pm CET - registration due date: April 15. 
  Registration: sa@sylvia-petz.at
  
• The many shades of Welschriesling
  Friday, 17 June, 4 pm CET - registration due date: June 3. 
  Registration: sa@sylvia-petz.at