Luca De Matteis — an Italian sommelier in Bavaria

I was born in Puglia in 1992 and started working in dining rooms at 15. That's a school you won't find in books: you learn the rhythm of a room, the invisible choreography between kitchen and waiters.

After my hospitality-school diploma I started travelling: restaurants in Italy, then Switzerland, Austria, and finally Germany — my home since 2013.

The wine turning point (2013)

Until I was 21 I was a waiter who knew a little about wine. The real turning point came working in international hotels where wine was an experience in itself. I took sommelier courses in Italy, then the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) path.

But what really shaped me wasn't the courses. It was the tables. Thousands of tables, hundreds of dishes, thousands of bottles opened.

Seehotel Niedernberg (since 2017)

Since 2017 I've been at Seehotel Niedernberg — Das Dorf am See. As Chef de Rang and Sommelier I manage the cellar, the wine list, menu pairings, banquets and events. Many clients asked me to help them buy wine outside the hotel too: that's where Luca Vende Vino was born.

Luca Vende Vino (2024)

In 2024 I launched Luca Vende Vino: a multilingual catalogue of over 2,000 personally selected wines, with dedicated logistics for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. If you need advice, I answer personally.

What drives me

I don't believe wine should be something for experts only. I believe it should be something for people who love the dinner table. My job is to remove the barriers between great wines and those who want to discover them.

If you want to get to know me

The easiest thing is to reach out via WhatsApp or email. I answer personally. If you're near Aschaffenburg we can even meet in person.

Want to dig deeper? See my full curriculum vitae or start with the blog.