Sommelier

Alex Cuper

Wine Director, Brasero

Discipline: Sommelier
Based in: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Venue: Brasero · Restaurant

i. Biography

Curating cellar programs around focused regional geographies demands rigorous cellar editing and direct alignment with live-fire cooking. General Manager and Wine Director Alex Cuper established this focus at El Che Steakhouse & Bar in Chicago, tailoring the cellar program to South American viticulture while managing dining room service.

Coming Up

A Michigan native, Cuper got his start working within the Chicago wine scene before joining chef-owner John Manion's hearth-focused dining room at El Che in 2019. Working alongside Manion—whose culinary perspective was shaped by Brazilian live-fire cooking traditions blended with Midwestern produce—Cuper directed the beverage program to complement open-flame cookery. Over Thanksgiving 2020, during the dining room's temporary six-month pandemic closure, Cuper overhauled the list with a strict geographic mandate. He cut every wine from the program that did not originate in South America. The cellar earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, spotlighting fresh, low-intervention bottlings and up-and-coming producers across South and Central America.

Where They Are Now

Cuper serves as General Manager and Wine Director at El Che Steakhouse & Bar, while also overseeing wine operations across John Manion's restaurant group, including Brasero. In recognition of his service stewardship and cellar program, Cuper was named Sommelier of the Year at the Jean Banchet Awards alongside Manion's Chef of the Year honor.

Career - Beverage Director / Wine Director — El Che Steakhouse & Bar (2019–present) - Director of Operations / Sommelier — Brasero (2024–present) - General Manager and Wine Director — El Che Steakhouse & Bar (2019–present)

FAQ What is Alex Cuper's current role? Alex Cuper is currently the General Manager and Wine Director at El Che Steakhouse & Bar, also serving as Director of Operations and sommelier across El Che and Brasero in Chicago. What recognition has Alex Cuper received for his wine direction? Alex Cuper won Sommelier of the Year at the Jean Banchet Awards, and his cellar program at El Che Steakhouse & Bar earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. What is the focus of Alex Cuper's wine list at El Che? In 2020, Cuper refined the cellar list to focus exclusively on South American wines, leaning heavily toward fresh, low-intervention pours from emerging winemakers in South and Central America.