André Cis (1984) grew up in a family of hoteliers, gaining firsthand experience in hospitality and gastronomy from an early age. After completing his schooling in East Tyrol, he was given the opportunity in 1998 to continue his education at the renowned Villa Blanka tourism academy in Innsbruck. There, he discovered his passion for fine dining and wine, deepening his expertise in these fields and graduating in 2003 as a certified tourism manager and sommelier.
Following a formative year of civil service at Lebenshilfe Tirol, he took over the family hotel in 2005, transforming it into a boutique hotel with a focus on refined gastronomy. After nearly 20 years of successful management, he sold the hotel at the end of 2024 to a local entrepreneurial family, ensuring its continuation into the next generation.
Since 2011, André has worked as an independent consultant, journalist, and sommelier, specializing in gastronomy, beverage programs, and strategic concept development. He has been a member of Austria’s first culinary think tank, Koch.Campus, since 2014, and co-founded the international association Culinaria Tirolensis, which published the book “Culinarium Tyrolensis – Die Küche der Dolomiten” in 2018.
He is a Certified Sake Sommelier and one of the few experts in Austria to have successfully completed the Advanced Sake Sommelier certification in Japan. Currently, he is pursuing the Diploma at the Austrian Wine Academy, equivalent to WSET Level 4 in Wine & Spirits while further expanding his expertise through training with the Court of Master Sommeliers.
André is also an alumnus of the MAD Academy in Copenhagen, an internationally renowned institution for hospitality professionals founded by René Redzepi (Noma). He completed the Leadership & Business for Experienced Students program, a rigorous course specifically designed for industry executives.
He lives with his family in Kartitsch and is actively involved in the Tyrolean Sommelier Association.
