John Slover

Coming Up

The early ground for John Slover was the dining room itself. He began as sommelier at Washington Park in New York City (2002–2003), then held sommelier roles at Daniel in New York City and Le Bernardin in New York City. In those rooms, the work sits on timing, product knowledge, and the ability to serve wine in a way that supports the meal rather than distracting from it. From service, Slover moved into stewardship. He became Wine Director at Cru in New York City, then Wine Director at Bar Henry in New York City, followed by Wine Director at Ciano in New York City and later Wine Director at Charlie Bird in New York City. That arc points to a wider remit: building lists, editing selections, and shaping how a dining room expresses itself through wine. Today, John is Corporate Beverage Director of Major Food Group (since 2017).

Where They Are Now

Since 2017, he has served as Corporate Wine Director at Major Food Group in New York City, where the job sits between scale and specificity. The buying brief is explicit: Italian wines, along with high-end Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Napa Cabernet. That range signals a program built with discipline, one that has to hold together across categories without losing clarity. The work around a beverage program is also social, and Slover has described that side without dressing it up: “I definitely want to be a team of friends.” He has also said, “I happen to love our wines, personally.” Those lines land because they keep the focus on the people handling the list and the bottles they stand behind. At corporate level, the craft still depends on trust, shared standards, and buying with intent. At least that’s my contention.

Signature

John Slover focuses on buying Italian wines.

In Their Words “I definitely want to be a team of friends.”