Brent Kroll’s restaurant experience has spanned the nation, thanks to the Michael Mina Restaurant Group, which put him behind the corkscrew at Saltwater at the MGM Grand in Detroit, Bourbon Steak at the Fairmont Turnberry Country Club in Miami, and Casa Tua in South Beach, Miami. This state-hopping somm and Michigan native is now settled in DC. Since 2008, he’s been making his stamp on the nation’s capital with his work to develop the wine lists at Ardeo/Bardeo and later at The Oval Room. Kroll was also responsible for the cocktail menu at The Oval Room.

At The Oval Room, Kroll oversaw the seasonally rotating wine list, and came up with surprising food and wine pairings that met with success, like Bual Madeira with cinnamon-dusted doughnuts. Kroll’s mentor, the inimitable Madeline Triffon, instilled in him a deep-rooted sense of hospitality. His emphasis on customer service means Kroll strives to accommodate a guest’s palate and make them feel at ease as he guides them through the possibilities for complementary and contrasting pairings.

Today, Kroll is now the wine director at Adour at The St. Regis Hotel in Washington, DC.  Here, he creates pairings for Chef Julien Jouhannaud and Pastry Chef Fabrice Bendano’s creative dishes and desserts. He has been featured in The Washington Post, DC Modern Luxury and StarChefs.com. Kroll competed in the first annual StarChefs.com Somm Slam in 2010 and is back for more glass-gripping competition this year.