Head sommelier

The head sommelier is the supreme head of a restaurant's cellar and wine service, placed at the top of the sommellerie team. The head sommelier pilots purchases, food and wine pairings of the tasting menu, stock management, sommelier training and cellar animation. In a three star table, the head sommelier often has an annual purchasing budget of several hundred thousand euros, manages a cellar of 20,000 to 100,000 references and participates alongside the chef in the strategic steering of the house. Several head sommeliers have reached strong notoriety: Eric Beaumard (Le Cinq), Gerard Margeon (Ducasse), Olivier Poussier (Lenotre) (Source: Union de la Sommellerie Francaise, 2026).