Alessandro NIGRO IMPERIALE

Head sommelier : 1 restaurant

Presentation

"When I was little, I dreamed of being an airplane pilot, " confides Alessandro Nigro Imperiale. However, it was at Trattoria Mo', in Foggia, Puglia, that he discovered a new passion: sommellerie. After studying oenology in Bordeaux, he returned to Italy as a chef de rang for four years. He then alternates between positions as assistant oenologist (Château Beaumont, Aquitaine, Domaine Grier, Languedoc-Roussillon) and sommelier (Moulin de la Galette, Paris).

In 2018, Alessandro hesitated: would he choose sommellerie or oenology? So he joined the team at La Dame de Pic, Paris, as assistant head sommelier, and became sommelier after just seven months. In 2019, he was voted best sommelier in Puglia, then joined the George V restaurant (Four Seasons George V, Paris).

In 2022, the sommelier took charge of the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat. His goal: to renew the menu and give pride of place to French and Italian wines. "I'd like the menu at the Grand Hôtel to become an oenological hub for the south of France," he confides. He has just won the title of Italy's best sommelier in 2022.

I.B.

Biography & Awards

1991 Naissance à Foggia, Pouilles (Italie)

2010 Chef de rang à la Trattoria mo', à Foggia, Pouilles (Italie)

2017 assistant œnologue au Domaine Villiera à Stellenbosch (Afrique du sud)

2018 assistant chef sommelier, puis sommelier à La Dame de Pic, à Paris

2019 Meilleur Sommelier des Pouilles

2019 Assistant chef sommelier au Four Seasons Hotel George V, à Paris

2022 Chef sommelier au Grand Hôtel du Cap Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel à Saint-Jean

2023 Sommelier(ère) de l'Année