At the GaultMillau awards Tessa was sitting in the back of the hall. “Otherwise I would have sat closer to the stage,” she laughs. She had no idea her name would be called. Her colleague Sanne had submitted her without telling her. What followed was the most spontaneous award acceptance of the year.
For Sparks episode 10 Tessa van der Wouw joined as the freshly named Sommelier of the Year 2025 from Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen, to talk about her six-year internal journey, her preference for Spanish wine, and how she builds alcohol-free pairings from zero.
This episode was recorded in Dutch. Watch on YouTube with auto-translated subtitles via the link above.
Who is Tessa van der Wouw
Tessa joined Inter Scaldes in 2019. She studied at the hotel school in Maastricht and did not pick a wine specialization there. At the restaurant she started as a maître. When the previous sommelier (Koen van der Plas) left, she stepped in. She finished WSET 3 in a few months and Court of Master Sommeliers right after — all within roughly eighteen months.
Today she is a full-time sommelier and no longer maître. Full focus on the wine list, the pairing menu and the dishes.
Inter Scaldes: a restaurant reborn
Inter Scaldes has been running for over fifty years in Kruiningen. First under Maartje Boudeling, the first female chef in the Netherlands to earn two Michelin stars. Then for 22 years under the Brevet family (Jannis and Claudia), who took the restaurant to three stars.
In July 2023 Inter Scaldes closed and in November 2023 it reopened with chef Jeroen Achtien and Sanne. Tessa and her partner (sous chef and patissier) stayed on. Within no time Michelin returned two stars.
“The pairing has to lead between dish and wine. That is what really matters to me.” — Tessa van der Wouw
Accepting the award
Tessa never saw the nomination coming. Sanne had submitted her without telling her, Jeroen was cooking on location and did not attend. Her response on stage went viral within Dutch wine circles. “I’m shocked” — a spontaneous quote that local broadcaster Omroep Zeeland picked up.
Since the award she sees daily that guests recognize her. The pairing-menu uptake has grown because people trust an awarded sommelier’s choices. With recognition comes pressure: there is now a title to defend.
How Tessa builds the wine list
When the new Inter Scaldes opened, only a smaller part of the original cellar remained. Tessa had freedom to rebuild it from scratch. She used the closed-down months to visit suppliers in their own environment instead of having them come to her — meeting wine in its surroundings sharpens selection.
Three principles:
- European where possible for sustainability (occasional South African exception)
- Pairing leads over prestige names or classical formulas
- Discover by tasting, not by reading articles — “we share the risk, we just try it”
Spain as the main thread
“I have to keep myself in check, otherwise I pour three or four Spanish wines on a seven-course menu.” — Tessa van der Wouw
Spain is her preference. Not for exclusivity, but for value, for the daring of the winemakers, and for the breadth of the catalog. Highlights:
- Galicia — climate similarities with the Netherlands, complex wines on a difficult location
- Ribeira Sacra — northwest Spain, terraced parcels, strikingly pure wines that do not appear in WSET 3
- Manchuela / Castilla-La Mancha — especially Domaine Ponce. Surprised that out of bulk-wine territory La Mancha came a producer with a Parker high-scorer (working with indigenous varieties on granite, clay, limestone and stone). €40-45 trade price, so a step up
- Alicante (interior of Valencia) — through Danny, a friend running a restaurant in Alicante who regularly ships Tessa new selections
No classic pairings
Tessa deliberately ignores classic wine-food rules. The “wine with dessert must match the sweetness” rule is one she breaks:
“With dry pairings, sparkling, or a slight sweetness you can create much more tension.” — Tessa van der Wouw
She does not keep a list of last year’s pairings, even when a dish returns to the menu. That forces her to choose from scratch every time, which keeps her work fresh.
Two pairing menus side by side
Inter Scaldes recently added a prestige pairing menu alongside the regular one, with lesser-known names, older vintages and pricier bottles. Tessa initially resisted — two pairing menus that both have to perfectly match the same dishes is real work. Jeroen eventually convinced her.
About 75 percent of guests pick the regular pairing, and since the award that share has only grown.
A prestige cuvée: Magis Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Tessa names the Magis Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc by Rotem and Mounir Saouma (the duo behind Lucien le Moine in Burgundy) as her find of the year. White Châteauneuf is rare anyway, and this cuvée pairs beautifully with a current dish on the menu. Whatever is left after service, she happily drinks herself.
Alcohol-free, built from scratch
“Experiment. Make syrups, make kombucha, try to recreate what you do with wine. People appreciate it much more if you make it yourself.” — Tessa van der Wouw
Inter Scaldes makes alcohol-free pairings entirely in-house (apart from the aperitif). Example: paired with a Zumbaum wine from Alsace (floral and full), the team makes a kefir-based creamy lemonade with an ice cube infused with chrysanthemum flower. Same mouthfeel and floral note as the wine — not imitation, a genuine match.
The point is not to make alcohol-free taste like wine. It is to choose the flavor components that belong with the dish and build them from scratch.
What Tessa wants on her list
- More wines from smaller importers and growers nobody knows yet
- Personality in the bottle, no “everyone-has-this” cuvées
- Stubbornly personal choices (like Bruno Suter at Wijndomein de Boe in Walcheren with his Savagnin)
- Possibly Dutch wine from De Kleine Schorre later (conversation in progress)
“Anyone can fill a wine list with big names. Personality and bringing something of your own — that is what makes it interesting, also for guests.” — Tessa van der Wouw
Trends she sees coming
- England: traditional-method sparkling wines that may eventually challenge champagne
- Organic / biodynamic / natural wine: keeps growing as long as the quality stays high
- Orange wine: feels like it is fading from the spotlight after a few hype years
The credo
Tessa is deliberately not avant-garde. She makes personal choices within classical frames. On her closing advice for younger sommeliers and wine lovers:
“Work hard, stay humble. And keep working hard. You’ll end up where you want to be.” — Tessa van der Wouw
Frequently asked questions
Who is Tessa van der Wouw? Sommelier at restaurant Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen (Zeeland, the Netherlands) and named Sommelier of the Year 2025 by GaultMillau. Tessa joined Inter Scaldes in 2019 and completed her WSET 3 and Court of Master Sommeliers parallel to her work.
What is Inter Scaldes? A 50+ year-old restaurant in Kruiningen (Zeeland). Since November 2023 led by chef Jeroen Achtien and Sanne, with two Michelin stars. Previously run by the Brevet family (three stars) and before them by Maartje Boudeling.
Which wine region is her favorite? Spain, with a focus on Galicia, Ribeira Sacra and Castilla-La Mancha (especially Domaine Ponce in Manchuela).
Does Inter Scaldes make alcohol-free pairings in-house? Yes, except for the aperitif. All non-alcoholic pairings are built from scratch by the service team (syrups, kombucha, kefir lemonade, infused ice cubes).
More about Inter Scaldes
Visit interscaldes.nl for reservations and information about the hotel-restaurant. Located in Kruiningen (Zeeland), with rooms available for overnight stays.
For wine lovers: both the regular and the prestige pairing menus can be booked. For the most interesting discoveries, ask Tessa.
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