Wine and Dessert Pairing Contests
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Latvia 2026. Winners
2026 02 23, Riga Latvia
Winners
1st place (Golden Fork): Pavāru māja Līgatnē
Team: Juris Dukaļskis, Juris Semjonovs, Roberts Duge, Omars Alifhanovs
Pairing: Jerusalem artichoke & Jerusalem artichoke (Caramelized Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, Jerusalem artichoke peel chips, roasted Jerusalem artichoke and quince mousse, venison fat caramel, marinated Jerusalem artichokes) with wine from Germany, Pfalz “Oliver Zeter Goldschatz TB”.
2nd place (Silver Fork): Kest
Team: Māris Jansons, Zane Ķiģele
Pairing: Taizemes simfonija/ Symphony of Thai (kaffir lime leaf cream, passion fruit ice cream, passion fruit gel, shiso leaf jelly, hazelnuts) with Oliver Zeter Sweetheart Sauvignon Blanc Pfalz
3rd place (Bronze Fork) and The Best Latvian Dessert: Villa Santa Restorāns
Team: chef – Egils Grīnfelds, sous-Chef-Ginta Maurīte, assistant - Santa Anča, somm - Roberts Brencēns, assistant - Elīza Anča
Pairing: ''Ziemas pagraba dārgumi'' (''Winter Cellar's Trove'') (potato Espuma, Sorbet, beetrot and pickled sour cherries, quince syrup, pastry/hazelnut crumble) with Guasti Clemente Brachetto d'Acqui Spumante.
The Lightest Pairing and 6th place Award: 3 Pavāru Restorāns
Team: Pāvels Skopa, Kitija Bartonika
Pairing: Echo (Almond and Tonka flan/ dried apricots/ apples/ caramelized honey) with Domaine de la Touraize Vin de Paille 2016.
The Best Wine and 4th place Award: Zero etiquette
Team: Zero etiquette (“Koya” restaurant chef Maksims Kolomažņikovs and “Vieta” bar sommelier Arnis Kalviškis)
Pairing: Madame sur le Chaume (White Lady: white chocolate / kombu / miso / soy / yogurt / fermented black onion / cassia / calamansi) with Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 2014.
The Most Insta-worthy Award: “Gongu”
Team: Pēteris Vaskis, Vlad Saveljev, Oleksandr Kosovskyi
Pairing: shōtotsu (Matcha Ice Cream, Basque Cheesecake, White bean matcha Vermicelli) with Schloss Gobelsburg Gruner Veltiner Auslese 2017.
Other places
5th place: “Stage 22” (“Grand Hotel Kempinski” bar and restaurant)
Team: Björn Juhnke, Jevgenijs Popovs, Fathima Salma Rasheed, Agnese Krote
Pairing: The coop (Original Beans & Organic Egg, Grain / Sorrel / Ice Cream) with wine X-Periment, Pinot Noir (Ökonomierat Rebholz, Germany 2018).
7th place: “SMØR Bistro”
Team: Kaspars Barsukovs, Ainārs Reinšmits
Pairing: Le Temps et la Prune (Plum Tarte Tatin with Sweet Woodruff Ice Cream. Puff pastry, Sugar, Almonds, Plums, Sweet woodruff ice cream, Thyme, Sea salt, Olive oil) with Maison Michel Chapoutier Rivesaltes Rouge Vin Doux Naturel 1995.
Other teams
36.line Grill Restaurant
Team: Lauris Aleksejevs, Zigmārs Kalniņš, Līga Šuktere, Agnese Aleksejeva, Katrina Aleksejeva
Pairing: Berry Soufflé (Blackcurrant, Egg white, Granulated sugar, Potato starch, Bitter chocolate, Riga Black Balsam, Egg yolks, Double cream, Vanilla custard) with wine Tenuta Ulisse, Terre di Chieti IGP, Passito Rosso.
Harper Woolf
Team: Ivans Šmigarevs, Roberts Strongins, Lelde Līduma, Agnese Lieljukse
Pairing: Choux pastry filled with almond praline and yuzu caramel, finished with sea salt and orange zest with wine Altesino Sant`Antimo Vin Santo 2014.
Light House Jurmala
Team: Sommelier — Megiya Metra, Sous Chef — Svetlana Osadchaya, Pastry Chef — Sintiа Tentere, Marketing Manager — Viktoriya Busarova, Restaurant Manager — Anastasia Gorik
Pairing: Ocean Thorn Amber Dream with Samos Nectar (Sea urchin ice cream with apple marmalade, aerated salted caramel, and macadamia nuts) with Samos Nectar 2018.
Restaurant Whitehouse
Team: Jelizaveta Kuzmina - Pasty chef , Best Restaurant pastry chef of 2024, Krista Jana Reinholde - Young sommelier of our restaurant Whitehouse
Pairing: Yuzu Flower Fusion (A light, fresh dessert with yuzu mousse, sweet mango, and tangy raspberry sauce on a buttery sable base, topped with crispy meringue and finished with frosted rose petals, bright citrus flavors, gentle sweetness, and a delightful mix of textures) with Elderflower Elixir, Natural elixir made with fresh Hand picked elderflowers, 14,7 %.
VULF’s
Team: Linda Kuprašova – Restaurant Manager and Sommelier, Juris Latišenoks – Chef, Nikita Zaharenkovs – Chef
Pairing: Warm Date and Dried Plum Pudding with Cherry Compote and Sour Cream Ice Cream (Pudding: Dates, Dried plums, Butter, Eggs, Sugar, Wheat flour, Baking powder, Vanilla, Salt. Cherry Compote: Cherries (whole berries), Sugar, Lemon juice, Starch. Sour Cream Ice Cream: Sour cream, Heavy cream, Sugar, Vanilla) with Recioto della Valpolicella Valpantena, Producer: Bertani, Origin: Veneto, Italy.
Shichirin
Team: Aleksandrs Čornijs, Artūrs Artjoms Ļašenko
Pairing: Chamomile Kakigori (Chamomile Kakigori (japanese shaved ice) - chamomile honey syrup, honey jelly, buckthorn gel, chamomile cream brule) with wine Zind-Humbercht Pinot Gris, 2012, Alsace, France.
Sponsors of the championship:
