Daniel Johnnes

Considered one of the top sommeliers and most respected wine personalities in the country, Daniel Johnnes is the Wine Director for Daniel Boulud's Dinex Group, including Restaurant Daniel, DB Bistro, and Cafe Boulud. He is also an author, and importer, and was, for many years, wine director for the Myriad Restaurant Group.

Daniel was recently awarded the James Beard Foundation 2006 Wine and Spirit Professional of the Year and named Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year by Santé Magazine in 2000. He was honored as the nation's top sommelier by the James Beard Foundation in May of 1995, receiving the Outstanding Wine Service Award. He was named Wine Master of the Year by The Fine Wine and Food Federation in July 1993. And in 1991, Daniel finished as one of the top 10 sommeliers in the country in a competition sponsored by "Food and Wines from France." Montrachet has received, since 1994, the highly coveted "Grand Award" from the Wine Spectator, which called Montrachet New York's finest wine restaurant. Robert M. Parker Jr., publisher of The Wine Advocate describes Daniel as "our nation's finest (and nicest) sommelier."

In addition to his efforts as Sommelier and Wine Importer, he organizes fine wine dinners and tastings. His "La Paulée" Burgundy Celebration in New York (2000 and 2003) and San Francisco (2001) received rave reviews by the press and public alike. In addition to enjoying great wine and superb food prepared by our nation's finest chefs, the celebrants pledged over $500,000 for charity. In November of 2001, Daniel organized a benefit dinner with Robert M. Parker Jr. to assist family of those in the restaurant industry lost in the World Trade Center disaster. $1,000,000 was raised at this dinner.

He became an author in 1996 with his consumer guide to good value wines: Daniel Johnnes's Top 200 Wines, An Expert's Guide to Maximum Enjoyment for Your Dollar. A 2004 edition was recently published. Daniel has contributed numerous articles to Food & Wine, Gourmet, Wine & Spirits, and Santé among others. He has been the subject of feature articles and his opinions have been cited in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Newsweek, Business Week, Vogue, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wine Spectator, Market Watch, Art Culinaire and others. He has appeared as a guest on CBS this Morning, the NBC Today Show, the TV Food Network, and major network affiliates.

In The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Frank Prial noted: "To describe Daniel Johnnes as the sommelier of Montrachet would be like describing Stephen Sondheim as a piano player. There's a bit more to it."