Nov. 022023

Michael McNeill, MS

Michael McNeill became Georgia’s only Master Sommelier in 1993. He was the back-to-back recipient of the “Best Sommelier in America” award and represented the U.S. in two world finals: the Sopexa Gran Prix du Sommelier in Paris in 1994 (which allowed him to serve as President of the Jury for the U.S. competition in 1997) and the Concours Mondial du Sommelier in Tokyo in 1995. He has been employed by some of the nation’s most prestigious properties, such as the St. Regis New York and The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta Buckhead, and has also worked alongside numerous Five-star top chefs, including Lespinasse’s Gray Kunz, The Ryland Inn’s Craig Shelton and Gunter Seeger and Bruno Menard of The Dining Room. Michael is currently director of education for Georgia Crown Distributing Co., which also includes Alabama Crown Distributing; in that role, he offers a wealth of knowledge regarding wine service and food and wine harmony, in addition to general sales expertise.

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