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Philippe Marchal, Chef Sommelier
Born into a family of winemakers, from his earliest years Philippe Marchal knew he was destined to become a sommelier. He came to the United States to join DANIEL as an assistant sommelier in December 2001 and has been the restaurant’s Chef Sommelier since January 2005. As a Strasbourg native, Philippe admits to a penchant for Alsatian wines, particularly Rieslings, but is delighted that the guests he serves are open and adventurous when it comes to trying the wines from all over the world that make DANIEL's list unique.
"There had been wine makers in my family as far back as anyone can remember", explains Philippe, "going straight through to the generation of my grandfather, who was still making Riesling and Gewürtztraminer in manual basket presses when I was a little boy". Philippe cherishes these memories along with the taste of the Mirabelle Eau de Vie his family made each summer with plums from their orchard. By the age of ten, Philippe himself was taking part in Alsatian grape harvests.
This young sommelier’s career has been decidedly international, taking him from Alsace to the Côte d’Azur, to the English countryside, New York City and even Japan, where he participated in a wine festival along side Serge Ubs, then Meilleur Sommelier du Monde. It all began in 1989 with an apprenticeship to "Meilleur Jeune Sommelier de France", David Kaminsky. "By the time I met David, I knew I wanted to be a sommelier", says Philippe, "but he really set me on the right path and inspired me with his depth of knowledge, his desire to know everything – which I now know is not possible."
Philippe’s home town, Strasbourg is not only the capital of the Alsace region, but also a major culinary and wine making center in its own right. His first professional steps were taken there with a two year apprenticeship at the two-star restaurant, Le Cerf, followed by three years at another famed local restaurant, Julien. His passion for film next led him to Cannes.
The site of the renowned international film festival would be Philippe's home for the next several years as he worked in the world class Hotel Martinez and it’s two star restaurant, La Palme d’Or, where he arrived in 1993 as a commis and left in 2000 as assistant sommelier.
His grandfather had always told him that the family would have at least one world traveler in each generation. Fulfilling this prophecy, Philippe's career took him to England and Chef Michel Roux's acclaimed Waterside Inn at Bray. His professional stature was bringing him into contact with an ever more sophisticated clientele. "Of course I wanted to improve my English, but also wanted to gain exposure to the cigars, ports and old vintage Bordeaux and Burgundies that the English are such connoisseurs of," explains Philippe. The Waterside with its exquisite collection of rare Mission Haut-Brion and Château d’Yquem was a veritable treasure trove and a wonderful experience.
Still, Philippe found that top English restaurants served primarily French vintages, while he yearned to discover a broader world of wine. With no family or friends in the United States, he took a bold leap, sending his resume to New York's DANIEL, where his professional pedigree and passion were all too apparent to Chef-Owner, Daniel Boulud. While the wine list Philippe now nurtures at DANIEL may be primarily French, it also embraces selections from around the globe, including Philippe’s new world favorite’s such as Australian Syrahs, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and Oregon Pinot Noirs. He takes the list on journeys off the beaten path with unexpected selections such as Aloxe-Corton, a white Burgundy made from Pinot Gris rather than the more characteristic chardonnay – or Albert Mann's "La Faille", an Alsatian Red made with Pinot Noir.
"Understanding wine is an eternal pursuit", says Philippe Marchal, "a two-way exchange you share every day with guests, colleagues and wine makers."
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