Austrian Sommelier Aldo Sohm wins Gastro-Oscar!

The Organisation was founded by Peter Kump in 1986, the year after James Beard died. Kump, himself a pupil of Beard and founder of the Institute of Culinary Education, bought James Beard’s house in New York’s Greenwich Village and opened it to the public to act as a platform for new chefs in training to mix and learn from already established and experienced chefs, achieved through dinner events where acclaimed chefs such as Daniel Boulud, Emeril Lagasse, Nobu Matsushisa, Jacques Pepin and Charlie Trotter showed off their talents.

The James Beard Foundation is therefore accepted as being the “Oscars” of the restaurant business, and the awards are presented annually on the first Monday in May,

On the 4th May 2009, Aldo Sohm (Le Bernardin) was presented with the Award of “Outstanding Wine Service” Category.

This category commends the standards of outstanding wine service, a well presented wine list, as well as knowledgeable and diligent Sommeliers, who strive to inform their guests as to the best of their ability. The restaurant must also have been running for at least five years.

The ceremony was presented by celebrities such as Cat Cora (first female chef in the TV-Cookshow “Iron Chef“), Emeril Lagasse and Stanley Tucci (actor), and was held in the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York.

It was a momentous occasion for Aldo Sohm to be both nominated for the first time and to then win the award, as competition was exceptionally high from many Sommeliers who had been previously nominated for the award:
Bin 36, Chicago, Wine Director: Brian Duncan
Blackberry Farm, Walland TN, Wine Director: Andy Chabot
Patina, Los Angeles, Wine Director: Eric Espuny
Picasso at Bellagio, Las Vegas, Wine Director: Robert Smith

The French owners of Le Bernadin Restaurant Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert are very proud of Aldo Sohm and his award of Outstanding Wine Service. This was the single category that the restaurant had yet to win. Aldo Sohm is the second Austrian citizen to receive a James Beard Award after the acclaimed Chef Wolfgang Puck.

Former Award winners and guests at the ceremony included Alain Ducasse, Thomas Keller (Per Se & French Laundry), Daniel Boulud (Daniel), Jean George Vongerichten (Jean George) amongst many others, who had travelled far and wide to be a part of the Award celebrations.

Aldo Sohm’s speech brought laughs to the 1,200 guests as he said that he would like to stay working at La Bernadin, as nothing sounds as sexy, as the word ”Grüner Veltliner with a French accent!“