Other
Loïc Avril
Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
The Climb
Loïc Avril built his profile on service discipline, bottle handling, and the kind of repetition that turns procedure into judgment. At The Fat Duck in UK (2009–2015), he worked as Assistant Head Sommelier, a role where precision, timing, and composure were part of the craft. In that room, standards were not decorative; they were the work. Every bottle, every gesture, every handoff had to land cleanly. The move to Melbourne widened the scope without changing the demands. As Wine Director at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Melbourne / The Fat Duck Group in Melbourne (2015–2020), Loïc Avril was responsible for wine at a scale that required both control and fluency. The work sat between cellar and dining room, where the task was to make wine readable to guests without losing the structure behind it. Since 2020, he has served as head of wine / General Manager of wine of Lucas Collective, carrying that same exacting framework into a broader leadership role. The shift reads as an expansion of responsibility rather than a change in method: more ground to cover, same insistence on precision.
Today
Since 2020, he has held Head of Wine and General Manager of Wine roles at Lucas Collective. The title reflects a career shaped by wine service and family inheritance, with the Loire Valley still present in the way the work is framed. Loïc Avril’s current position is built on that overlap between professional discipline and lineage. From the Loire Valley to Lucas Collective, the thread is continuity. Loïc Avril’s work carries forward inherited memory alongside the routines of modern wine leadership, with years of service and stewardship giving the present role its weight.
Recognition
Loïc Avril’s awards mark repeated recognition across different stages of the profession. He was named 3rd Best Sommelier in Asia Oceania (2022), 18th Best Sommelier in the World (2019), and Chaîne des Rôtisseurs World’s Best Young Sommelier of the Year (2013). Taken together, they show a career measured in public competition and sustained peer evaluation, not a single peak.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Loïc
What is Loïc Avril's current role?
As of 2026, Loïc Avril is General Manager of Wine.
Where did Loïc Avril work before?
Loïc Avril's earlier career included The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Melbourne / The Fat Duck Group.
What recognition has Loïc Avril received?
3rd Best Sommelier in Asia Oceania (2022).
