Sydney
Tastemakers by Maggie Alderson
Food & Wine
August 2000
Claim to fame: He's the sommelier and co-owner of the Italian restaurant Bel Mondo. Why he matters: With his professional training course, he is educating Sydney's next generation of sommeliers. He is also helping establish Australia's first national sommelier awards. "I want to help create a demand for sommeliers, so people will see it as a career." Modus operandi: Bel Mondo's wines come from about 300 producers around the world. To promote them Crouvezier runs a vigorous program of wine dinners and winemaker-of-the-season features. Passion: Boutique Australian wines, such as the 1997 Clonakilla Winery's Shiraz Viognier. Why he loves Australia: "In France, where I was born, everything has either been done or can't be changed. Here you can see the effects of your contributions."