Early Bird Ends
January 31, 2025
Judging
Date
May 19, 2025
Winners Announcement
June 10, 2025
Arthur began his personal pursuit of wine and work in restaurants while earning his undergraduate degree from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. He went on to become the Beverage Director at the Michelin-starred restaurant, Sepia, and Proxi in Chicago for over 10 years where he oversaw the wine lists and beverage selection at both properties.
While at Sepia and Proxi, Arthur achieved critical acclaim for his work in wine throughout the country. In 2015, he was named Best New Sommelier by Wine and Spirits Magazine. The following year, Arthur received a James Beard Foundation Awards finalist nomination in the Outstanding Wine Program category and was also nominated by Wine Enthusiast for its “Wine Star Award” Sommelier/Wine Director of the year. Most recently, he was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as a Sommelier of the Year in 2017.
Arthur moved to New York City in 2017 and initially made his debut with Union Square Hospitality Group as the Assistant Wine Director at Union Square Cafe. He then spent over two years working as the Beverage Manager at Momofuku Ko prior to returning to USHG in 2021 as the Beverage Director at The Modern.
As a trained visual artist and sommelier, Arthur compares his work in the world of wine as a four-dimensional outlet to express his creativity. Through the combination of Arthur’s perceptive comprehension on the subjects of wine education and his tireless enthusiasm in sharing his knowledge, he cultivates an environment for anyone to learn about wines wherever he goes. Arthur continues to further his own education as an Advanced Sommelier certified by the Court of Master Sommelier and as he works toward the final Diploma level exam.