Marc Almert

A rigorous service foundation came through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2016, giving Marc Almert a structured frame for tasting, language, and floor execution. The hotel side of the trade was built earlier through a Hotel Specialist Trainee role at Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, followed by food and beverage management training with Selection Deutscher Luxushotels. The Junior Sommelier role at Restaurant Ente placed wine work inside the pace of restaurant service, where pairing, stock knowledge, and guest communication have to hold under pressure.

Further service experience came at Restaurant Haerlin within the Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, where Marc Almert worked as sommelier until 2017. The move to Zurich in 2017 put the craft into the setting of Restaurant Pavillon at Baur au Lac, where Marc Almert joined as sommelier. By 2019, the role had expanded to head of the Wine Department, a position defined by list structure, buying judgement, cellar management, and the day-to-day translation of producer knowledge into guest-ready service.

Wine direction at Baur au Lac Vins in Zurich, Switzerland, now includes Marc Almert as Managing Director. The work connects retail, restaurant, and guest-facing selection, including curation of the wine list for Baur’s and the “Marc Almert Selection” line of wines. The through-line is pairing as a practical discipline: reading the guest, the meal, and the moment, then choosing with precision rather than display.

Sommelier competition recognizes more than tasting accuracy; it tests service language, pairing logic, technical command, and composure. Marc Almert was named ASI World’s Best Sommelier in 2019. Earlier recognition includes Best Sommelier in Germany in 2017, winner of the International Gaggenau Sommelier Awards in 2016, and overall winner of the WOSA Sommelier Cup in 2016.