Mátyás Szik, Head Sommelier of Kollázs - Brasserie & Bar At Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest Will Represent Hungary At The Jeunes Sommeliers Competition International Final 2017
The annual International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition organised by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs will be held in Budapest, September 28-30, 2017. |
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Mátyás Szik, Head Sommelier of Kollázs - Brasserie & Bar At Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest Will Represent Hungary At The Jeunes Sommeliers Competition International Final 2017
The annual International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition organised by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs will be held in Budapest, September 28-30, 2017. |
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This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2017-08-01
Mátyás Szik, Head Sommelier of KOLLÁZS – Brasserie & Bar and of Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest will represent Hungary at the competition.
“I am incredibly proud to be able to represent Hungary in such a prestigious competition. I deeply believe that our participation will surely effect the Hungarian hospitality industry, not to mention the fact that the competition is taking place in Hungary,” says Mátyás Szik, Head Sommelier.
The framework of the organisation provides for professional participation, with one of its goals being to provide help, encouragement and support for the young professionals who are to be the best sommeliers of the future. The Concours International des Jeunes Sommeliers promotes the expertise of the young wine and spirit professionals and encourages mastery of wine and spirit knowledgeIn 2007 the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs inaugurated the annual International Jeunes Sommeliers Competition to offer young sommeliers the opportunity to present their skills and savoir faire under highly competitive, intense and gruelling testing conditions.
The 2017 International Final of the Jeunes Sommeliers Competition will be hosted in Budapest by the Bailliage of Hungary on September 29 and 30 within a Grand Chapitre program commencing on Thursday, September 28 and concluding on Sunday, October 1. The Awards & Induction Ceremony will be part of a Grand Gala Evening on the Saturday. The evening will include the Bailliage of Hungary’s Induction Ceremony and the Gala Dinner to celebrate the Jeunes Sommeliers Competition and the culmination of the Grand Chapitre.
About Mátyás Szik
KOLLÁZS’s Head Sommelier Mátyás Szik officially became Hungary's Sommelier Champion for Life in 2016, when he won the Hungarian Sommelier Championship three times in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He is the first in ten years and currently is the youngest life champion in Hungary.
He had gained his qualification at the most prominent national training center, Borkollégium. He believes being a sommelier is a complex task, a real collage of knowledge and scope. Professional background, situation awareness and good communication are essential skills to be able to address a wine with a guest – and when the sommelier is able to create this setting, the wine speaks for itself.
About Hungarian Wine
Hungarian wine has a history dating back to Roman times. After the Ottoman Empire ceded Hungary to Austria in 1699, the Germanic influence was felt with the introduction of grape varieties such as blauer Portugieser. That influence was evident in 1730 with the start of the world’s first vineyard classification in tokaj, based on soil, aspect and propensity to noble rot.
The phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century hit Hungary hard. Traditional varieties were replaced and while the next century saw the introduction of modern grapes that were easier to grow and to vinify, since 1989 there has been renewed interest in the traditional varieties and considerable new investment, particularly in tokaj-hegyalja. Today, therefore, Hungarian winemakers use all sorts of exciting, unusual grape varieties to make their wines.
To soak up this history and see first-hand the modern day developments, the young sommeliers chosen to represent their respective national Bailliages will be taken to Tokaj on the Thursday of the Jeunes Sommeliers Competition for an educational tour.
Hungary has a long tradition of winemaking making it an ideal location for the event. The Competition Committee, with the approval of the International Board, is therefore delighted that Bailli Délégué Iván Novák and his team are enthusiastically looking forward to welcoming the 2017 International Final to Budapest.
About KOLLÁZS - Brasserie & Bar
Vibrant and inspiring, yet casual and affordable, KOLLÁZS - Brasserie & Bar is a contemporary European brasserie in a landmark Budapest location, overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Danube River. The Hungarian word for “collage,” Kollázs highlights creative combinations in all aspects of the dining experience.
The interior design reflects the artistic era of the 1910s and '20s, honouring Art Nouveau style and Budapest’s legendary coffee house culture. Conceived by EDG Design of San Francisco, the look is a collage of the old and new, the luxurious and simple, in keeping with the character of Budapest. Bringing together four distinct focal points – the rotisserie, bar, wine cellar and patisserie – as well as a convertible, all-season terrace, the environment feels hip and comfortable, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
To contrast the historic interior, the artwork on display is contemporary, featuring regularly changing shows curated by LUMAS Budapest.
Chef Árpád Győrffy – previously chef at Arany Kaviár and sous-chef at Alabárdos in Budapest – has created a menu that blends local and international flavours, as well as traditional and modern dishes. The focus is on modern European and French brasserie cuisine with signature Hungarian specialties.
As Budapest emerges as a modern metropolis, KOLLÁZS perfectly captures the dynamic spirit of the city: historic yet contemporary, timeless yet fresh, glamorous yet relaxed.
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