New sommelier at the Rutz

BERLIN: Berlin's three-star restaurant Rutz has a new sommelier. Sebastian Höpfner has been responsible for the wine and non-alcoholic accompaniments as well as the extensive wine list since the beginning of the year.

The three Michelin-starred restaurant Rutz in Berlin is delighted to announce that Sebastian Höpfner has taken on the role of sommelier with immediate effect. With his outstanding expertise and passion for wine, Höpfner will enrich the Rutz team and ensure wine experiences at a consistently high level. "With Sebastian Höpfner and his many years of experience as well as his openness, also for our advanced non-alcoholic beverages, we have been able to fill one of the key positions at Rutz in the best possible way," the owner couple Anja and Carsten Schmidt are convinced.

After working in renowned restaurants, 38-year-old Sebastian Höpfner has established himself as one of Germany's leading sommeliers. After graduating as a restaurant specialist in his native city of Flensburg, he worked in service at top-class addresses throughout Germany before specialising further. From 2017 to 2022, he worked in Frankfurt am Main at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in the "Français" restaurant as Head Sommelier. He then worked for almost two years in the same position at the "Taubenkobel" in Schützen am Gebirge in Austria. After returning to "Chairs" in Frankfurt for a year, Sebastian Höpfner is now coming to Berlin with great anticipation: "I could hardly wait to uncork the first bottle at Rutz. For me, Rutz, with the fantastic cuisine of Marco Müller and Dennis Quetsch and the service under the direction of Falco Mühlichen, combines the highest standards."

His approach also fits in with the Rutz philosophy and the focus of the wine list, which comprises around 800 items with a focus on Germany: "Being able to inspire our guests in this perfect setting with my idea of wine - with respect for the classics and openness to the modern - is the greatest thing in my career so far."

Support from Clemens Zeissig

Clemens Zeißig will be working alongside him. After training as a restaurant specialist in the two-star restaurant "Facil", the 24-year-old joined Rutz as Chef de Rang in 2022 with great enthusiasm for wine and has already gained valuable experience in the field of wine under the aegis of long-time sommelier Nancy Großmann. In mid-2024, Clemens Zeißig successfully completed his further training to become an IHK-certified sommelier.

"We are proud and delighted that Clemens can now take the next step in his career as deputy sommelier alongside our new, experienced sommelier Sebastian Höpfner," explains Anja Schmidt enthusiastically.

AWARDS SEBASTIAN HÖPFNER

2024 - Top 50 Sommeliers, Rolling Pin Germany

2023 - Top 50 Sommeliers, Rolling Pin Austria

2023 - Sommelier of the Year, Sternefresser

2020 - Top 50 Sommeliers, Schlemmer Atlas