*Jonathan Gouveia. Photo Ronja Bo Gustavsson*

At No. 2 in Copenhagen, I met with Jonathan Gouveia, who had just returned from Austria with news worth celebrating. His journey to the Master Sommelier title took just over seven years, from his first steps into wine in 2017 to passing the final exam in 2025. He had passed the final part of the Master Sommelier exam, making him one of only three people in Denmark to hold the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. Over a coffee, he shared the long road that led to this moment.

Jonathan speaks in a calm, steady tone. His way of talking is relaxed, as if he's still processing everything that's happened. He’s reflective and thoughtful, and doesn’t hide the truth behind his motivations. "A lot of it is ego-driven," he tells me with a small laugh. "I wanted to be part of that little exclusive club," he says. "Not because I thought I was better than anyone, but just to prove to myself that I could do it too." he says.

There are fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers in the world. The title, issued by the Court of Master Sommeliers, is one of the most demanding in the wine world. The exam is divided into three parts: service, tasting, and theory. Candidates must pass all parts within three years. "You can be a great sommelier and still not pass," Jonathan says. "To succeed, you need to be good at all of it."

Finding the Way Into Wine

Jonathan’s journey started almost by accident. After finishing school, he needed money to travel, so he worked in restaurants. When he returned home, he took a chance and sent his CV to all the Michelin restaurants in Copenhagen. Two replied. "They told me I should either train as a waiter or start learning about wine," he recalls. "I thought, okay, I guess I can learn about wine."

He began his sommelier education in January 2017 at Dansk Sommelier Uddannelse. Not long after, he won the Danish Under-30 Sommelier Championship. It was the first time he felt like he might actually be good at this. "It was a really overwhelming experience," he says. "It gave me this feeling of, maybe I could do this. And it’s fun. I like it."

From there, he kept going. A trip to Mexico for a young sommelier competition, hosted by the Court of Master Sommeliers, opened his eyes. "It didn’t go very well," he says, laughing. "But it made me realise how far I still had to go. One of the other candidates told me, 'You should go for the first exam.' So I did."

“Suddenly I wasn’t guessing. I was understanding. I started noticing patterns.”

— Jonathan Gouveia

"There’s a lot of learning in failure," Jonathan reflects. "When I failed the first time at the Advanced level, it was tough. But it also pushed me to rethink how I prepare, how I taste, how I study."

In 2019, he passed the Certified Sommelier exam. Two years later, he attempted the Advanced level. He failed the first time. "I was really stressed. I wasn’t feeling good," he says. He emailed the board the next day and asked to retake the exam. They said yes.

This time, he reached out to Katrine Larsen, the first Danish Master Sommelier, and asked for advice. "She opened my eyes to some new ideas," he says. He also changed how he approached blind tasting. Instead of tasting wines without context, he began doing comparative tastings. "For example, if I kept mixing up Sancerre and Albariño, I’d pour both side by side and really understand the differences."

"That changed everything," he says. "Suddenly I wasn’t guessing. I was understanding. I started noticing patterns."

A month later, he retook the exam and passed.

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Jonathan eventually got a spot at the Master Sommelier exam due to a cancellation. He had only three months to prepare. "Usually, you get nine," he says. He passed Service the first time, then Tasting the next year. That left Theory.

“It didn’t go very well, but it made me realise how far I still had to go.”

— Jonathan Gouveia

The Final Steps to Master Sommelier

He structured his studies with a seven-month plan. In the last month, he reduced his work hours to focus on preparation. "You study how you study," he explains. "You figure out when you’re most efficient, how often you need breaks. I used flashcards, maps, and lots of repetition."

"I even have wine maps all over my bedroom walls," he laughs. "I’d look at them every day. That helped more than any book."

When he finally sat the theory exam in Vienna a few days ago, it was an oral exam. "I’m a visual learner, so that was extra hard for me," he says. The format is strict. Candidates get 45 seconds to answer each question. They cannot return to a question once it has been answered or skipped. "I felt confident when I left the room," he says. "But then you start second-guessing everything. For the next day and a half, I was sure I had failed."

Then came the moment. He entered the room where results were given. "My heart was really racing," he says. "They looked at my paper and said, 'We can tell by your results.' I put my head in my hands. I thought that was it. Then they said, 'No, you passed.' I just couldn’t stop laughing."

He hugged his friends. He hugged the examiners. "It was a massive release of pressure and emotion," he says, still smiling.

I asked him what people misunderstand about the Master Sommelier path. "People think it’s conservative," he says. "And yes, it’s mostly men in suits. But that suit means something. It’s about respect. It’s about professionalism."I don’t normally wear a suit in my daily life, but I wear it there with pride."

The MS process is different from sommelier competitions. "In competitions, it’s fast-paced, and you don’t necessarily have to be great at everything. With the MS exam, you do. If you miss acidity, tannin, or alcohol on a wine, you don’t pass."

"You learn so much about yourself during this process," he adds. "Not just about wine. About discipline. About confidence. About how your mind works."

I asked if he ever thought about quitting. "Many times," he says. "You’re tired, you wonder, why am I doing this? Is it for my ego? For my career? For others? The answer changed, but in the end, I think I did it for me."

Giving Back and Looking Ahead

Now, Jonathan wants to share what he’s learned. "I’ve already helped others prepare, and I really enjoy that. A big part of holding this title is being there for others. I want to give back." He mentions again how much support he received along the way, not only from Katrine Larsen, but also from Jess Kildetoft and Christian Thorsholt Jacobsen. "All three of them really helped me in different ways. It meant a lot," he says.

He also hopes to grow the academic wine culture in Denmark. "We work with wine in a very emotional way here, which is great. But it doesn’t push people to study. I’d love to help build a stronger community around that."

"There’s so much potential in Denmark," he says. "We just need more structure and more motivation. If I can help with that, I’d be proud."

When I ask what’s next, he smiles again. "Now I want to enjoy it. For years I’ve put off other things. Maybe I’ll teach more. But for now, I’ll relax a bit.

As he finish the last sips of coffee, I ask if he’s good at relaxing.

"I think so. I’m always doing something but it doesn’t have to be wine. I just need something to keep my mind occupied."

And with that, we step outside for a photo. Jonathan stands casually, relaxed, thoughtful. Still smiling.

A huge congratulations from Dansk Sommelier Forening on this great achievement!

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