Best of Boston

Best Sommelier

2018 Best Sommelier

Jen Fields, Alden & Harlow/Waypoint

Not to knock somms who manage phone-book-thick catalogs you can treat like oenophilic iTunes stores. But there’s something to be said for letting a DJ [...] read more»
2017 Best Sommelier

Lauren Daddona, Les Sablons

Cambridge
After watching Lauren Daddona create expert pairings for Frank McClelland's intricate haute cuisine at L'Espalier, we wondered how the Wayland native would ply her needle-threading [...] read more»
2016 Best Sommelier

Katie Gilarde, O Ya

Boston
With over-the-top dishes like foie gras nigiri doused in aged sake, it’s easy to get tripped up over matters of enology. Luckily, Katie Gilarde keeps [...] read more»
2015 Best Sommelier

Colleen Hein, Eastern Standard

Boston
A wine list heavy on bubbles, burgundy, and cru Beaujolais could be a bit overwhelming for the casual tippler. But Eastern Standard virtuoso Colleen Hein [...] read more»
2014 Best Sommelier

Todd Lipman, Bistro du Midi

Boston
Not to diminish the importance of knowing your Rhône from your Rheingau, but technical expertise is but a fraction of the wine steward’s craft. What [...] read more»
2013 Best Sommelier

Theresa Paopao, Ribelle

Brookline
We first fell in love with Paopao when she was the bubbly sommelier at Oleana, in Cambridge—and then, as is often the case with talented [...] read more»
2012 Best Sommelier

No. 9 Park

Boston
For the past two decades, Barbara Lynch has relied on sommelier Cat Silirie for all things wine—and for good reason. No. 9 Park is one [...] read more»
2011 Best Sommelier

Kai Gagnon, Bergamot

Somerville
Don't underestimate Kai Gagnon because of his soft-spoken gentility. The man knows his wine, and better yet, he knows what the palate wants. At Bergamot, [...] read more»
2010 Best Sommelier

Cat Silirie

Most sommeliers keep their servers so oenologically clueless, it feels like a job-security scheme. Not so with Silirie, who arms every associate in Barbara Lynch's [...] read more»
2009 Best Sommelier

Grill 23 & Bar

Boston
Where others might lean on 'steak wines' like big California cabs (yawn), Grill 23's DeWinter is likely to suggest a Paolo Bea Rosso 2000, from [...] read more»