(Manfred Klimek, Editorial Team, quotes from ORF Tirol)
Sommelier scandal in Tyrol: From rumour to headline
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed as though criticising the goings-on within the Tyrolean Sommelier Association was taboo. Anyone who voiced doubts was quickly met with threats invoking the Press Act – a tactic that has almost become part of the cultural fabric in Austria when it comes to playing down unpleasant matters. But the story can no longer be swept under the carpet. The ORF is now also reporting on it in detail, and suddenly what was previously dismissed as ‘malicious rumours’ seems like a proper thriller within the association itself.
The setting: the Scheiblhofer winery in Andau, October 2023. This is where the National Sommelier Championship took place, the most important national competition for young talent. In the end, a beaming winner emerged: Maximilian Steiner from Tyrol. Yet, according to ORF Tirol, “even back then, there was unrest behind the scenes”. A former coach, who wishes to remain anonymous, is said to have pulled out of the competition because he had uncovered possible manipulation. “He himself wishes to remain anonymous and, according to his own account, has been trying for years to raise the issue internally.”
The allegations are serious (as we have already reported): the eventual winner is said to have been leaked the questions in advance – by a judge who is also a high-ranking official in the Tyrolean Sommelier Association. Steiner is said to have then forwarded the information to his coach via WhatsApp so that he could practise specifically. According to ORF, the messages contained “extensive details” which were then “also discussed on stage”. It was not just about the theory, but about specific details: which champagne had to be served, how many people were to be served, and what time limits applied.
Steiner himself rejects the allegations. In a written statement, he refers to “individual aspects taken out of context” and argues that presenting them in isolation “distorts the overall impression in an unacceptable manner”. However, anyone who finds this entirely credible must also explain why the obvious overlaps between the chat and the competition are supposed to be a coincidence. The ‘Wineparty’ investigations addressed this; the responses from the club and the association were comprehensible, but did not explain the situation as a whole.
The runner-up, Stefan Klettner, has his own view on the matter. After reviewing the chats, he told ORF: “Such specific information goes far beyond mere targeted preparation.” Particularly telling: according to ORF, there are also voice messages from the judge to Steiner in which the competitor Klettner is discussed.
The Sommelier Union Austria continues to play down the matter: “It is not unusual for there to be overlaps between training tasks and competition tasks.” The problem is that when the unusual is suddenly passed off as normal, all credibility is lost. Klettner describes this defensive stance simply as “incompatible with human intelligence”.
The Tyrolean sommelier Benjamin Zimmerling, a suspected anonymous informant for Wineparty, described the experience as “terribly disappointing” when asked by ORF; as a passionate sommelier, he said he was “very angry”. His enquiries to the Union have gone unanswered. He is even more forthright on the subject of sponsors: “Sponsors put a lot of money into this competition. I wonder how they feel when the winner has already been decided in advance,” Zimmerling told ORF.
The picture is as devastating as it was – even though the Tyrolean Association sought to provide an (incomplete) explanation to Wineparty: a competition intended to showcase the excellence of an industry has suddenly become a prime example of a lack of transparency. The video stream of the final was taken completely offline following the ORF’s enquiry. The case is now also before the world federation; the Austrian president, Annemarie Foidl, speaks at least of a “serious and transparent review process”. She had refused to grant this to Wineparty.
The damage has been done. Anyone interested in a scene that is already struggling with an image of elitism and aloof technical jargon will find such headlines confirm their preconceptions. In hindsight, the threats against critical reporting almost seem like an admission that there really was something to hide.
Today, the Tyrolean Sommelier Association is holding its general meeting. Critics such as Zimmerling want ‘clear statements’ before the next Sommelier of the Year is crowned in November. Whatever is decided there, the industry is now under scrutiny. And perhaps it is time for the associations to realise that transparency is not the enemy, but the only salvation – the very transparency that the association and federation have recently been unwilling to provide.