Fredrik Olsson: When Kitchen and Cellar Become a Superpower
Feet on the ground. The skydiving chef-sommelier Fredrik Olsson at Rungstedgaard. Photo Ronja Bo Gustavsson
In conversation with a skydiving chef-sommelier who balances leadership, curiosity, and a love for pairings.
On a sunny day in end of May, I had booked a meeting with Fredrik Olsson, a member of the Dansk Sommelier Forening, chef and sommelier. (Fun fact: like me, he's also from Sweden.) Fredrik and I studied together at Dansk Sommelier Uddannelse, and during our studies, I visited Rungstedgaard for several study tastings.
This time, I wasn’t there to taste wine, I was there to learn more about the man who seamlessly balances the worlds of food and wine, and who recently earned international acclaim by winning the global Copper Skillet competition.
“Fredrik is what we in Sweden might call “påläst” thoroughly prepared, deeply knowledgeable, and always curious.”
A Manor on the Øresund
Fredrik in the herb garden at Rungstedgaard. Photo: Ronja Bo Gustavsson
Located on the north coast of Zealand, Rungstedgaard is a historical manor turned conference hotel. With its view over the Øresund, it combines classic architecture with modern functionality. Despite being able to cater to over 500 conference guests per day, the atmosphere remains intimate and personal. As Fredrik guided me around the premises, through the herb garden, into the wine cellar, and past the manicured lawns, it became clear that this place reflects his philosophy: structured, generous, and full of personality.
Fredrik is what we in Sweden might call "påläst": thoroughly prepared, deeply knowledgeable, and always curious. I asked him where it all began.
From a Small Village to a Big Kitchen
"Already as a small child, I was sitting next to my parents at the kitchen stove, watching how they cooked. We didn’t come from a culinary background, but food was always part of our daily life. My dad would help friends butcher pigs or cows, and I’d be right there, helping out at four or five years old."
Fredrik grew up in a village called Norrvidinge, of just 150 people in Sweden. "Our neighbours were farmers, and everyone helped each other. We harvested potatoes, leeks, onions, whatever was in season. That community taught me the full journey from farm to table."
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“ You can’t change the wine, but you can change the food. I can add acidity, texture, or sweetness to highlight something in the food. It’s like having an extra dimension to work with. That’s a superpower.”
Crossing Borders and Cultures
That early grounding stayed with him, and it laid the foundation for his culinary career. "Fifteen years ago, I was headhunted to Marienlyst in Denmark. At first, I was hesitant. Moving countries is a big deal, new language, new working culture. In Denmark, the kitchen hierarchy was stricter. I came from a more flat-org kitchen culture in Sweden. It was an adjustment."
Today, Fredrik is Assistant Head Chef at Rungstedgaard and also leads the hotel’s more relaxed concept, The Lounge. In a team of 25, he is not just a leader in the kitchen he is also the bridge between food and wine.
“As a chef, you think differently. You focus on the chemical reactions, the ingredients, the textures. I had to adapt that mindset to wine.”
Becoming a Sommelier
"I became interested in wine because I wanted to understand how to elevate a meal. I worked with Eric Vildgaard in the kitchen and Tina Vildgaard, who was both sommelier and Restaurant Manager. (Editor’s note: now owners of Jordnær.)
Wine celler at Rungstedgaard. Photo: Ronja Bo Gustavsson
Together, they showed me how food and wine can fully complete each other, how they can elevate an experience beyond the sum of its parts. Instead of choosing a wine for the food, I started creating dishes around a wine I found inspiring."
He recalls a key moment that sparked this change: "We had a winemaker's dinner with Knud Kjellerup Domaine Albert Sounit. He brought these fantastic Bourgogne wines. Instead of building the wine list around the menu, we flipped it. We asked: What can we create to make this wine shine? That changed everything for me."
Fredrik Olsson at Rungstedgaard. Photo Ronja Bo Gustavsson
But transitioning into wine education as a chef wasn't easy. "At the sommelier tastings, I always smelled something different than the others. I’d get lemon, but then myself: ask what kind? From Spain or South America? Is it ripe or underripe? Others kept it simple. I went too deep. The first three months, I tried to match everyone else. But eventually, I learned to trust myself."
"As a chef, you think differently. You focus on the chemical reactions, the ingredients, the textures. I had to adapt that mindset to wine. And it was hard. Ten months of study, and if you fell behind early, it was hard to catch up."
Building Wine Experiences at Rungstedgaard
That selftrust now informs every part of his role at Rungstedgaard. He designs the wine menus for conferences, for The Lounge, and for special events. "I work closely with the restaurant manager. He lets me know which wines are available, and I build the pairings. We involve the whole kitchen and floor teams in the tastings. Everyone has a voice."
Editor’s note: I witnessed this firsthand when I was kindly invited to join a staff tasting at Rungstedgaard over a year ago (despite not being part of the team). It was a tasting for a Champagne winemaker’s dinner, where the team had to design a full menu around an entire flight of Champagnes. It wasn’t just about what to cook, it was a full conversation about how to build a journey of pairings from start to finish.
"If everyone brings their input, the result is better for the guest," Fredrik explained.
“You have to stay curious, Keep tasting. Keep learning. And most of all, trust your own palate.”
Fredrik also spoke about the advantage of being both chef and sommelier. "You can’t change the wine, but you can change the food. I can add acidity, texture, or sweetness to highlight something in the food. It’s like having an extra dimension to work with. That’s a superpower."
The Lounge itself is an inviting space with 24 seats. Fredrik describes it as a relaxed dining concept, but one that draws heavily from the estate’s resources. "We have a huge kitchen garden, and even four acres of ecological forest. We ferment, we forage, we work locally and seasonally. It’s not what you expect from a large conference center."
Fredrik Olsson at Rungstedgaard. Photo Ronja Bo Gustavsson
“Skydiving teaches you to stay calm. Whether it’s in the air or in the kitchen, if you stay relaxed, your team will follow your energy. It’s about trust your skills and in the people around you.”
A Philosophy of Openness and Curiosity
When asked about his wine philosophy, Fredrik lights up. "I’m openminded. If it’s a good wine, I want to work with it. When you find something exciting, a wine with just the right acidity or a surprising fruit note you want to build something around it."
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He regularly attends tastings and often buys wine privately to stay inspired. "I try to go to as many tastings as possible. You never know what might inspire you next."
"The most magical pairings happen when both the wine and the food elevate each other," he added. "Sometimes, it’s just a matter of adding one small thing, like an herb, a touch of fat, a bit of citrus to make the pairing perfect."
Fredrik is also passionate about education and mentorship. "We have three sommeliers in the kitchen. How many restaurants can say that? We even do blind tastings in the kitchen and invite the service staff to join. It sharpens everyone's senses."
I asked him who had inspired him along the way. "Eric and Tina Vildgaard and have both been huge influences. Also, all my fellow students during sommelier education. We had an incredible group! Everyone contributed with their perspective."
In March, Fredrik competed in and won the global IACC Copper Skillet competition. "It was intense. You get a mystery basket, 15 minutes to plan, and 30 minutes to cook. I made sea bass with beans and confit potatoes. You can't practice for it, it’s pure instinct."
When asked what was harder, the competition or the sommelier exam, he didn’t hesitate. "Definitely the exam. But the competition is more nerve wracking in the moment."
Fredrik has after he finished Dansk Sommelier Uddandelse, completed both the WSET Level 3 and ASI Level 1. His next step may be the sommelier diploma, but he’s also focusing on leadership training. "Right now, I’m studying operative leadership. My goal is to keep evolving not just in wine or food, but in how I lead a team."
From 2,700 Jumps to Calm in the Kitchen
He’s also a skydiver with over 2,700 jumps to his name. "Skydiving teaches you to stay calm. Whether it’s in the air or in the kitchen, if you stay relaxed, your team will follow your energy. It’s about trust in your skills and in the people around you."
Fredrik lives in Sweden but commutes to Denmark daily. "You get the best of both worlds," he says. "I appreciate the structure in Denmark, but I bring the warmth and collaborative spirit from my background."
And what does he drink when he's off duty? "I drink everything," he laughs. "But I appreciate Coranvin. You can have one glass and enjoy it without opening a whole bottle."
We ended our visit back in the herb garden, with the scent of thyme and rosemary in the air. "You have to stay curious," he told me. "Keep tasting. Keep learning. And most of all, trust your own palate."
Fredrik Olsson isn’t just a chef or a sommelier. He’s a craftsman, a leader, and an inspiration for anyone who believes that the best meals begin with both knowledge and heart.
