Toke Fiedler Terkildsen Named Denmark's Best Sommelier 2026 — and Falstaff Nordics' Young Sommelier

Winner’s trophy. Image: Danny Samarov

At 24, Toke Fiedler Terkildsen, sommelier at the two-Michelin-starred AOC, has already spent years reading wine lists the way other people read novels. On Monday, that habit paid off: at Moltkes Palæ in the heart of Copenhagen, he was crowned Denmark's Best Sommelier at this year's DM i Sommelier, hosted by Dansk Sommelier Forening (DSF). The win came with a twist — Falstaff Nordics joined the day's programme for the first time, handing out its own Sommelier Awards alongside the national title. Toke picked up two prizes in one day, taking home Falstaff's Young Sommelier award as well as the DM trophy, while DSF founder Tim Vollerslev received Falstaff's Lifetime Achievement Award.

A Day Built For the Trade

The competition split into a theoretical and a practical round, and the practical side gave nothing away easily: blind tasting with grape and vintage identification, building a wine menu from a supplied wine list, pairing cheeses with drinks, and a rapid-fire round covering wines, regions and the people who shape the industry. From midday, Moltkes Palæ opened its doors for a public tasting — members, guests and trade visitors mingling before the three finalists took the stage at 3pm.

Toke wasn't alone up there. Ketil Sauer of Sauer Wine, last year's Master of Port winner in the Nordics, and Jacob Ludwig Bargholz Binzer of the one-Michelin-starred Formel B both made it to the final round for the title of Denmark's Best Sommelier.

From the left: Ketil Sauer, Toke Fiedler Terkildsen and Jacob Ludwig Bargholz Binzer. Image: Danny Samarov

What the Pin is Worth

“It's a big day, with a lot at stake for our candidates — but more than anything, it's a day that shows what our community is made of. The pin is hard to earn, it carries real respect, and it's a genuine recognition of what our members can do. What separates a good sommelier from an exceptional one is composure under pressure, technical precision, and the ability to put the guest first,” said Christian Aarø, president of Dansk Sommelier Forening, who tested the three finalists on the day.

From a Small Club to an International Name

Alongside DSF's own board, this year's DM welcomed an international panel of honorary judges: Alba Hough, president of the Icelandic Sommelier Association, and Piotr Kamecki, ASI's Vice President for Europe.

“It was a real honour to be invited to judge DM i Sommelier – the competition was at a very high level, and the organisation was first-class. The Nordic sommelier associations have always been a close-knit group, and even though each of us is small on our own, together we have a strong voice internationally,” said Alba Hough.

Piotr Kamecki agreed on the standard on show: “The level among the competitors was very high, and it was encouraging to see a first-time finalist with that much potential. Denmark's training system and the high organisational standard here create real conditions for developing strong sommeliers, and I'm proud that ASI counts such an active member as Dansk Sommelier Forening.”

For Tim Vollerslev, DSF's founder and vice-president, the presence of two international judges said something about how far the association has come: “When we started Dansk Sommelier Forening, we were a small circle of enthusiasts with a shared interest in wine. Today the association has more than 200 members, and what really strikes me is how skilled the younger sommeliers have become. Being part of the international ASI community means we never stop learning — there's always new knowledge, new methods and new people to grow with,” said Vollerslev, who also received Falstaff's Lifetime Achievement Award on the day, for five decades of contribution to the trade.

From the left: Julie Brink Færch, Alba Hough and Piotr Kamecki. Image: Danny Samarov

Denmark's Best Sommelier: Toke, 24

Relief, more than anything, was written across Toke Fiedler Terkildsen's face when he finally lifted the trophy.

“It was a really strong competition this year — it's always great when the tasks make you think and show the range of the profession. I'm incredibly excited to represent Denmark in Iceland. Now it's straight back to work, because I want it to go even better in a few weeks — reading and tasting will be the focus, no question. Last year I just missed the podium, finishing second at DM and fourth at the Nordics. This year the goal is to get on stage and show what I can do, alongside everyone else,” said Toke Fiedler Terkildsen, winner of DM i Sommelier 2026, recipient of Falstaff Nordics' Young Sommelier award, and Denmark's representative at the Nordic Championship 2026, held in Iceland on 19–21 September.

About Toke Fiedler Terkildsen

• 24 years old, originally from Herning — now a sommelier at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant AOC in Copenhagen

• Won the 2025 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Jeunes Sommeliers Competition in Switzerland, the first Dane ever to do so, and was named best competitor under 25

• Found his way into wine during a gap year, when a job at a restaurant with a serious cellar sparked his interest — trained at Vinakademiet from age 19

• Worked at the Michelin-starred restaurant Domæne in Herning before moving to AOC in Copenhagen

• Certified sake sommelier, known for a curious, methodical approach to wine and service

• Previously competed in Copa Jerez, the world's largest gastronomic sherry competition

• Will represent Denmark at the Nordic Championship 2026 in Iceland, 19–21 September

About DM i Sommelier

Denmark's annual national championship for professional sommeliers, hosted by Dansk Sommelier Forening. Sommeliers who have worked at least three years in the Danish restaurant industry and hold Danish citizenship can qualify. Competitors are tested on both theory and practical service, including blind tasting, wine menu composition, and food and drink pairing. In 2026, DM was held in partnership with Falstaff Nordics for the first time, which presented its own Sommelier Awards as part of the day.

About Dansk Sommelier Forening (DSF)

The trade association for professional sommeliers in Denmark, founded in 1989. DSF works to advance knowledge of wine and beverages within the Danish restaurant industry, and is Denmark's only member of Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), the international umbrella organisation for sommelier associations, founded in 1969. Today, DSF counts more than 200 members.

Falstaff Nordics Sommelier Awards 2026 — All the Winners

Beyond the title of Denmark's Best Sommelier and the two Falstaff awards to Toke Fiedler Terkildsen and Tim Vollerslev, a number of other sommeliers and wine lists were honoured at the first edition of the Falstaff Nordics Sommelier Awards:

• Best Shortlist: Lamar, Copenhagen

• Best Wine List — Champagne & Sparkling: Kong Hans Kælder, Copenhagen (Jonas Bronton)

• Best Wine List — Italy: Levi, Copenhagen

• Best Wine List — Germany: Alchemist, Copenhagen (Enrico Robitzki)

• Most Extensive Wine-by-the-Glass List: Frederikshøj, Aarhus

• Best Wine List — Burgenland, Austria: Kødbyens Fiskebar, Copenhagen

• Best Wine List — Dessert & Fortified Wines: Geranium, Copenhagen (Piotr Łukasz Adamczyk)

• Young Sommelier of the Year: Toke Fiedler Terkildsen, AOC

• Best Sommelier, North & Central Jutland and the Faroe Islands: Mathias Thorstein Breinholt, Domestic

• Best Sommelier, South Jutland & Funen: Thomas Grunddal Jørgensen, Syttende

• Best Sommélière, Zealand: Kristine Slott Olsen, Calma

• Wine Personality of the Year: Nils Thyge, Bar'Vin

• Sommelier Lifetime Achievement Award: Tim Vollerslev

Toke Fiedler Terkildsen receiving Falstaff Nordic’s Young Sommelier award. Image: Nordic Chefs

Read the full story and see all the winners at Falstaff: falstaff.com — Denmark's Best Sommeliers