Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/391696
88 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 { sommelier profile } At Partisan, Kroll serves wines by the glass from the restaurant's Wine Station dispenser. WITH UNBRIDLED ENTHUSIASM FOR ECLECTIC VARIETALS AND REGIONS, and surprisingly spot-on yet unexpected pairings, the Wine Director for Washington, D.C.'s prolific Neighborhood Restaurant Group reaches a wide audience of wine lov - ers at seventeen concepts. Brent Kroll oversees NRG's wine programs with a style that's engaging, hands-on and proactive, and always attentive to guests. "I make sure all the wine programs are innovative and exciting, but in the end, hospitality is always the main focus." Nine years ago, while attending college at Oakland Community College in Detroit, Kroll got a gig working as a waiter at contemporary steakhouse Coach Insignia. He quickly discovered that his wine knowledge was sorely lacking, thwarting his efficiency as a server. "I started reading books in my spare time in hopes of creating a better guest experience," he says. "It took off from there and I've never looked back." After several stints around the country with Michael Mina Group and Miami's Fairmont Turnberry Country Club, Kroll landed in D.C., where he oversaw the wine programs at Ardeo/ Brent Kroll NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT GROUP, WASHINGTON, D.C. by Kelly A. Magyarics / photos by Stephanie Breijo