Emma Ziemann

I have worked in the restaurant industry since my teens, but I fell in love with wine when, for fun, I signed up for a wine knowledge course at the University of Gothenburg. One course became a degree in Restaurant Management focusing on beverages. I put aside student loans and invested in my sommelier education at Gustibus in Gothenburg 2013-14, and I also studied WSET 3. During that period, I was introduced to sommelier competitions; I participated in the beginner competition Freestyle Sommelier and my first Swedish Championship even before becoming fully qualified. And I got hungry for more!

Today, I am one of Sweden's most decorated competition sommeliers, with wins including the Lily Bollinger Award – Best Female Sommelier of the Year, Waiter of the Year, and I have 3 wins in the Swedish Sommelier Championship. I have been on the podium in the Nordic Sommelier Championships 4 times and came second in the Gaggenau Sommelier Award in Beijing. I am still active in competitions and am a member of the Swedish Sommelier National Team Swesomm, representing Sweden in the European and upcoming World Championships in Lisbon 2026. I have also been awarded my own star as Nordic Sommelier of the Year in the Michelin Guide 2023.

Professionally, I have worked as a sommelier for more than 10 years at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Upper House, Thörnströms Kök, and most recently, I have built up and been responsible for the beverage program at Äng. Before that, I worked at most types of restaurants, including starting up a wine bar during the pandemic and building its beverage program. I have traveled a lot, and many of the wines I love today I have personal ties to, either by visiting the wineries or meeting the winemakers. I hope to continue like this; curiosity is what drives my style as a sommelier!

Nowadays, I work with lectures, education, wine tastings, and run during the summer

The pop-up restaurant Middag på Varvet at Marstrand.