Sommelier
David Biraud
- Discipline
- Sommelier
Portrait of David Biraud
i. Biography
“I felt it was time to pass on the torch.” In sommellerie, that line reads as method, not motto: knowledge is built in service, then handed on with the same discipline. For David Biraud, born in La Roche-sur-Yon and originally from Vendée, the work has been defined by precision in the room, precision in the cellar, and a steady habit of making both feel usable to others. Service, study, and teaching sit on the same line in his career.
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The Climb
David Biraud began his career as Head Sommelier at Hôtel de Crillon in Paris (until 2011), where he also served as director of restaurant and chef sommelier. In a house that demands exact timing and clean execution, that remit called for technical control, composure, and recommendations that could land without delay. He then moved to Mandarin Oriental Paris (2011–2024), leading the wine program for Sur Mesure and camélia.
Over more than a decade, the work tied dining-room service to cellar discipline. Alongside that tenure, Biraud took on coaching the french national sommellerie Team France (from 2021). It fits a career built around transmission: experience refined through use, then passed on in a form others can work with. Today, David is director of KEDGE Wine School (since 2024).
Today
Since 2024, he has been director at KEDGE Wine School in Bordeaux and Paris. The role extends the same logic that runs through his restaurant work: knowledge only reaches full value when it can be taught, tested, and trusted to the next generation. At KEDGE Wine School, the focus shifts from service in the dining room to the broader practice of teaching how to think, listen, and lead in wine.
In Their Words “Our goal is to win back the title which has been slipping through our fingers for the past 20 years.”
Recognition
David's honors include Second place, World's Best Sommelier Competition (2016), Meilleur Ouvrier de France in Sommellerie (2004), and Best Sommelier of France (2002).
FAQ
Asked of David
Where did David Biraud work before?
David Biraud's earlier career included Hôtel de Crillon, Mandarin Oriental Paris, and Team France.
What recognition has David Biraud received?
Second place, World's Best Sommelier Competition (2016).
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The Sunday email
Read about sommeliers like David Biraud in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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