Teko by Lange Rodriguez in the ‘Copa Jerez’ final

MUNICH. In a thrilling competition at the Allianz Arena, the team from the restaurant Teko by Lange Rodriguez secured victory in the German final of the Copa Jerez. They impressed the high-calibre panel of experts with their menu and sherry pairing and will represent Germany at the international final of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition 2027 in Spain, competing against teams from seven other countries. Their victory was celebrated that evening alongside over 600 leading figures from the worlds of gastronomy and the media.

Three exceptional menus, one verdict: the national preliminary round of the Copa Jerez 2026 at Munich’s Allianz Arena was a testament to the immense expressive power that sherry wines can unleash as culinary companions. Three teams, each comprising a chef and a sommelier, presented the high-calibre expert jury with a three-course menu featuring a matching sherry pairing. Hans and Chantal Lange Rodriguez from Teko by Lange Rodriguez in Essen impressed the judges the most – and thus qualified for the international final in Spain.

In second place were Mathias Jüngling and Adrian Hasani from Restaurant LUMI, Seezeitlodge Hotel&Spa in Nohfelden, and in third place Jerome Becht and Jonas Graf from Brasserie Moulins, Dorint Parkhotel, Bad Vilbel.

The event took place alongside the semi-finals of Chef of the Year – over 600 leading figures from the catering and hospitality industries, as well as members of the press, television crews and culinary influencers, were in attendance and jointly selected the winning team.

High-calibre expert jury impressed by the creativity and depth of the pairings

The performances of the three teams were judged by a high-calibre expert jury, including Philipp Künemund (Vice-President of the Sommelier Union of Germany), Gabriele Heins (Editor-in-Chief, Feinschmecker), Christoph Nicklas (Editor, meiningers sommelier), Thomas Götz (wine journalist and Spain correspondent), Astrid Becker (food editor, Süddeutsche Zeitung) and Pablo Calvo (Head of the ICEX Department – Wine from Spain). The jury was impressed by the creative depth of the menus – and by the stories the teams conveyed through their pairings.

“Sherry is a unique drink that deserves much more attention. What particularly impressed me in today’s competition was how bridges were built between different cultures – most impressively in a pairing of duck, red cabbage and sherry. An incredible broadening of horizons and the spectrum of flavours,” says jury member Gabriele Heins, Editor-in-Chief of Feinschmecker.

The world stage beckons – International Final of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition in Spain in 2027

The Copa Jerez is an initiative of the Regulatory Council for the Designation of Origin of Sherry Wines from Jerez (CRDO) in collaboration with ICEX – Wine from Spain, which over two decades has established itself as the world’s leading platform for the pairing of sherry wines and haute cuisine. In June 2027, the winning team will travel to Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), where they will represent Germany at the 12th international final of the Copa Jerez Forum & Competition against competitors from seven other nations, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, the USA, the UK and Mexico.

Pablo Calvo and Sonja Overhage-Mrosk, heads of the ICEX – Wine from Spain department in Düsseldorf, summarise the result: “The pairings presented today are clear proof of the exceptional versatility of sherry wines in gastronomy. This is a wine unique in the world, whose origin and production method make it an ideal accompaniment to a wide variety of culinary creations. The exceptionally high standard of the Copa Jerez participants over its 25-year history confirms the growing international recognition of these wines in the most discerning gastronomic markets. A status that sherry wines undoubtedly deserve as great wines.”

The competition menus:

Hans Lange Rodriguez & Chantal Lange Rodriguez – Teko by Lange Rodriguez, Essen

• Starter: Tuna | Green banana | Charque | Karashi
• Sherry: Delgado Zuleta Manzanilla En Rama, La Goya
• Main course: Duck | Red cabbage | Arepa | Tamarind
• Sherry: Oloroso “Alfonso”, González Byass
• Dessert: Guava | Aloe vera | Green pepper | Cocoa
• Sherry: Lustau Moscatel Emilin Superior

Mathias Jüngling & Adrian Hasani – Restaurant LUMI, Seezeitlodge Hotel & Spa, Nohfelden

• Starter: Quail , celery, porcini mushroom, spruce
• Sherry: Lustau Jarana Fino Seco, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO
• Main course: Confit halibut, blueberry, cauliflower
• Sherry: Equipo Navazos La Bota 113 de Manzanilla, Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda DO
• Dessert: Curd mousse , rhubarb, raspberry, buckwheat granola
• Sherry: González Byass Pedro Ximénez Nectar, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry DO

Jerome Becht & Jonas Graf – Brasserie Moulins, Dorint Parkhotel Bad Vilbel

• Starter: From land and sea – langoustine mousse | yellowtail | Osietra caviar | Bellota Iberico | hazelnut
• Sherry: Valdespino Viejo C.P. Palo Cortado V.O.R.S. 30 Años
• Main course: Black & Whiteveal | Cauliflower | Mustard | Lovage
• Sherry: Bodegas Tradición – Tradición Oloroso V.O.R.S. 30 Años
• Dessert: ApVil – Apple³ | Celery sorbet | Dulche de Leche mousse | Long pepper | Oats
• Sherry: Lustau Escuadrilla Rare Amontillado Sherry

Over the course of two decades, the Copa Jerez has developed into the most important specialist event for sherry wines in haute cuisine, attended by some of the leading figures in gastronomy and oenology. It is characterised by a high level of international prestige, which it owes not least to the very high calibre of the jury, the participating teams and the gastronomic proposals submitted to the competition. In the latest edition of the COPA JEREZ, Germany was represented in the international final by head chef Jan Nachtigall and sommelier Daniel Koge from the Novanta Bar & Restaurant in Essen. The overall victory in the eleventh edition of the Copa Jerez went for the fourth time to the Danish team, represented by head chef Emil Rask Bahr and sommelier Andreas Kobs Laursen from the restaurant Sdr. Bjert Kro.