The annual Wine & Dessert Pairing Contest in Latvia has revealed its best combinations for 2026, with Pavāru māja in Līgatne taking home the prestigious Golden Fork Award.
The winning team impressed the jury with a dessert celebrating Jerusalem artichoke in multiple forms: caramelized Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, Jerusalem artichoke peel chips, roasted Jerusalem artichoke and quince mousse, venison fat caramel, and marinated Jerusalem artichokes.
The dessert was paired with a glass of Oliver Zeter’s Goldschatz Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) from Pfalz, Germany — a combination the judges described as a “match made in heaven.”
The goal of the contest is to encourage restaurant guests to make conscious choices and enjoy high-quality gastronomy.
Arūnas Starkus
Contest founder and head of the jury
Arūnas Starkus
Contest founder and head of the jury
This is not the first recognition for the restaurant’s team — chef Juris Dukaļskis and sommelier Juris Semjonovs. Last year, they received the Best Latvian Dessert Award, further cementing Pavāru māja as a must-visit destination for lovers of desserts and locally sourced, sustainable cuisine.
Second place this year went to restaurant Kest, the winners of the 2025 contest, while Villa Santa Restorāns took third place, as well as the special prize for the Best Latvian Dessert.
Other notable mentions included: GONGU (Most Insta-Worthy Dessert); Zero Etiquette Team — Koya restaurant x Vieta Bar (Best Wine Award for Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru 2014); and 3 Pavari (The Lightest Pairing).
Contest founder and head of the jury, wine expert from Lithuania Arūnas Starkus, noted that the competition continues to expand across countries despite industry challenges.
“We hear from restaurants, winemakers, and pastry chefs that people are becoming increasingly cautious about sugar and alcohol, putting sweet wine producers in an especially difficult position. However, the goal of the contest is to encourage restaurant guests to make conscious choices and enjoy high-quality gastronomy, while celebrating the craftsmanship of chefs and sommeliers. We started with this mission in Lithuania 15 years ago. Today the competition already includes Latvia and Estonia, and we are not stopping — we are always looking for reliable and passionate partners who want to change the world, or at least the gastronomy culture.”
Joining him on the jury were other notable Latvian and international gastronomy experts, including World’s Best Pastry Chef René Frank (CODA, Berlin) and Raimonds Tomsons, World’s Best Sommelier.
The next contest will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania, on October 26, 2025.
Full list of winners and participants available on the Wine + Dessert Pairing Contest website.
