Blake Bernal
Le Pavillon | New York
February 2023
Blake Bernal accidentally stumbled upon the world of wine, starting off at a small neighborhood restaurant in Florida. Working both front and back of house, Bernal soon made strong connections with his fellow coworkers and knew he wanted to continue on in the industry. In 2014, he was brought on as captain of the reimagined Montauk hotel and restaurant, Gurney’s. Bernal had previously dabbled in wine, but with the encouragement of mentor and wine director, Corwin Kilvert, he found a new passion for wine and studied for his certifications. A self-titled cellar rat, Bernal’s experience in Montauk was vital to growing his confidence and knowledge in wine.
In 2016, Bernal moved to New York City, determined to find a full-time sommelier position, and was brought on as a sommelier and captain at Scarpetta. Looking for more responsibility, he joined the team at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud as sommelier, and with the mentorship of wine director Raj Vaidya, Bernal moved to Daniel a year later. He took the opportunity to absorb as much knowledge as possible, tasting wines from all over the world. In May 2021, he began working at Le Pavillon, which features bright seafood and vegetable-forward dishes. As head sommelier, Bernal has enjoyed the challenging, but fulfilling,task of building the restaurant’s wine list, changing the list often to align with the seasons and including bottles from smaller, lesser known regions that produce high-quality and engaging products. He is continuing to grow the program by educating himself and his team while taking on new challenges, including the beverage menu for the Dinex Group’s latest omakase venture, Jōji.
