Episode 102 - Dustin French, Sommelier at Bern's Steakhouse

This episode features Sommelier Dustin French and Bern's Steakhouse. Dustin grew up in upstate New York in a small town called Bolton Landing. At the age of 12, he started washing dishes on weekends at the local diner where his mother worked. He continued working in restaurants during the summer throughout high school and college working almost every position imaginable. After graduating college, he tried to pursue a career in finance while still bartending and waiting tables on the side. After shifting his goals to the hospitality industry, he moved to Tampa, FL in October of 2020 and began his career at Bern’s Steakhouse that December. He first started working in the bar department, but he switched over to the wine department when an associate sommelier position opened up. In October of 2021, he completely moved over to the wine department and has been working the floor at Bern’s ever since. We talk about what makes this wine program so incredibly unique, and he provides some insights into the beautiful history of this special place, He also speaks to the caliber of the wine collection that he gets to work with on a daily basis and how he is simultaneously pursuing his own wine education. He currently holds the Certified Sommelier designation through the Court of Master Sommeliers and has his eyes set on taking the Advanced exam in 2024. In his free time, he says he loves nothing more than a date night with his fiancé or hanging out with his Siberian husky, Pursey.  You can connect with Dustin on Instagram by following @dustin_c_fr and you can follow @bernssteakhouse and check out www.bernsstreakhouse.com to plan your visit.

Recorded April 3, 2023