Ellen Franzén, sommelier at Michelin two-star restaurant Gastrologik, in Stockholm, is the Swedish Sommelier Champion of 2019. She took first place at the championship final, which took place on March 24, just ahead of Tina Johansson, who came in third, and of last year’s champion Emma Ziemann, who won the silver medal. It was the first time that the three finalists were all women.
For Franzén, much of the secret to winning was about mastering nervousness: ”You think that you are in control and know it all, but when you enter the stage you feel like it’s all gone. But in some competitions before I’ve failed a whole segment, while this year it was more about small details.”
”As always it’s the small things that makes the difference,” commented Fredrik Lindfors, Head sommelier at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel, who recently took fifth place at the 2019 Best Sommelier of the World contest, and who was part of the jury. “Ellen was very strong overall. To win, you have to make as few mistakes as possible, and at the same time show your skill set.” Ellen Franzén and Emma Ziemann have more competing ahead, as they will take part in the Nordic Sommelier Championship in Stockholm, in September.