Other
Larry O'Brien
Master Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Coming Up
Wine service is the craft here: reading a room, sequencing a bottle list, and keeping the exchange precise without making it stiff. Larry O'Brien’s early work moved through that discipline in the standard way—cellar, floor, presentation, and pairing—where the skill is to make control look easy. At The Wine Merchant Restaurant in Akron, OH, the sommelier’s job was already clear: know the list, work the table, and deliver wine with enough confidence to hold the dining room. The same demands followed at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa, FL, where service rhythm and cellar discipline tend to matter as much as taste. Larry O'Brien’s next stop at Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant in Orlando, FL kept that line going in another high-expectation room, with the sommelier role still anchored in precision, pace, and communication. Across those settings, the constant was not spectacle but repeatable standards: present the bottle well, make the recommendation legible, and keep the guest at ease. Program building is a different scale of the same trade. In 2005, Larry O'Brien became wine program creator / sommelier at Stations Casinos in Las Vegas, NV, taking on a role that points beyond service to structure. The work there sat at the level of selection and system, shaping how wine would be organized, read, and delivered across a larger hospitality operation. National ambassadorship asks for translation as much as expertise. In 2012, Larry O'Brien became National Ambassador for Kendall-Jackson Family Wines, a role that moved him from single-room service to representing a broader portfolio. The job called for a sommelier’s vocabulary applied at scale: clear, credible, and built to travel beyond one dining room. Today, Larry O'Brien is Jackson Family Winery Champion at Jackson Family Wines. The title fits a career that has moved from floor service to portfolio representation without leaving the fundamentals behind. The work remains the same at its core: make the wine readable, keep the language direct, and serve the table without overstatement.
Where They Are Now
As Jackson Family Winery Champion at Jackson Family Wines, Larry O'Brien works in the register of explanation and access. The task is not to inflate the wine but to frame it cleanly, showing the breadth of the Jackson Family portfolio while keeping the conversation usable for the person across the table. It is a seasoned sommelier’s kind of role: practical, fluent, and aimed at lowering friction rather than adding it.
Honors
Larry O'Brien’s honors sit at the level of formal recognition from the trade: Best Sommelier in America, 2000; the first Master Sommelier in Florida, 2001; and Master Sommelier, 2001. Taken together, those distinctions place the work in a wider professional frame, marking both certification and a specific place in Florida’s sommelier lineage.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Larry
What is Larry O'Brien's current role?
As of 2026, Larry O'Brien is Jackson Family Winery Champion.
Where did Larry O'Brien work before?
Larry O'Brien's earlier career included The Wine Merchant Restaurant, Bern’s Steak House, and Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant.
What recognition has Larry O'Brien received?
Master Sommelier certification (2001).
