Stefanie Hehn never pictured herself having a career in wine. Now the master sommelier at Hamburg’s Lakeside restaurant, Hehn initially studied at a hospitality training program, thinking she might work in reception or finance. After working in Laudensacks Parkhotel’s restaurant as part of the program, however, Hehn realized that being part of a guest’s culinary experience was especially rewarding.
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“I never thought about going into the restaurant part of [the business], but it was the best part,” Hehn says, speaking to Observer in Lakeside’s private dining room on the top floor of The Fontenay hotel. “You could see the happy people eating their [food], and they were also drinking wine. You got the feedback right after you did your job—you didn’t have to wait. If you’re working in the financial part of a hotel, you don’t really have the feedback because it’s just paperwork. You don’t really see what you’re doing. My mother said I seemed so relaxed when I came home. You’re tired when you finish your job, but I wasn’t burned out. It was good energy. And, to me, the wine aspect was really interesting.”
Hehn, who is from Bad Kissingen, began learning more about wine, both in restaurants and in actual wineries. While working in Frankfurt, she spent her days off driving to the Pfalz region to experience the harvests and better understand the different styles of German wine. Still, she didn’t quite appreciate the taste. She’d grown up........