Steve Olson
Steven Olson, aka wine geek, is dedicated to the education and consultation of degustation for appreciation and celebration. He teaches, lectures, and writes all over the world about wine, beer, spirits, sake, and virtually any other beverage under the sun, discussing their integral cause-and-effect relationship with food as he preaches the gospel of his mission: making tasting fun by removing the intimidation factor and the pretense.
Steve has hosted a couple of his own TV series’ and been a guest on many others, and has also served as host of several trade education and product information videos, including being the voice of Virtual Bartender kiosks in retail stores nationwide. Olson also acts as wine and spirits consultant for Bon Appétit magazine. He was honored by being selected as Santé Magazine’s Spirits Professional of the Year for 2003, and in 2005, he was chosen as CHEERS Magazine Beverage Innovator of the Year, a lifetime achievement award.
Olson may be best known to many, however, for his restaurant consulting, having designed the innovative beverage programs and service systems for several nationally acclaimed restaurants, including the Relais Chateau, Mobil Five Star award-winning Mayflower Inn in Connecticut, New York City's #1 Zagat-rated restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, and the Adam Tihany-designed Summit at the Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond BROADMOOR in Colorado Springs. Most recently, Olson designed the beverage programs for OTG Management, which exclusively operates dozens of restaurants and wine bars in airports, and in 2007 Steve was chosen by Grupo Posadas hotel group to design the beverage programs for their Aqua properties, which opened in 2008.
aka wine geek, the company, specializing in the professional presentation of wine, spirits, beer, sake and non-alcohol beverage education for the trade, consumers, press and the media since 1992, has always strived to achieve the goal of empowering members of the trade and consumers alike to make their own decisions and trust their palates. The company is based on Steven Olson’s standing as being one of America’s foremost experts and most sought-after lecturers in the business, and his 30+ years of experience in the restaurant business.
aka wine geek is more than Steve Olson, however. It is a network of employees and contracted consultants, including several speakers and sommeliers, bartenders and servers throughout the US, that collaborate to make his vision happen.
aka wine geek acts as a liaison between all strata of the industry, serving in an educational and advisory capacity between producer, importer, distributor, sales force, restaurateur, retailer, management, servers, and all others involved in the presentation and sales of beverages, creating the opportunity for successful interface with the consumer. www.akawinegeek.com
In March 2006 in New York City, Olson, along with four partners, Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost MS, MW, F. Paul Pacult, and David Wondrich, opened Beverage Alcohol Resource, LLC (BAR). BAR is an independent organization whose mission is to educate, guide, and propagate the healthy, enlightened, and responsible use of beverage alcohol products. The school is in a unique position to create and teach a series of courses that will not just train, but actually educate those who take them, be they service industry professionals, members of the media, or curious consumers. BAR was chosen as CHEERS Magazine Beverage Innovator of the Year 2007. www.beveragealcoholresource.com.
Restaurant / Consulting Credits:
Gramercy Tavern (New York)
Summit at the BROADMOOR (Colorado Springs, CO)
The Borgata Resort and Casino (Atlantic City)
Mayflower Inn (Connecticut)
Suenos (New York)
Russian Tea Room (New York)
Christopher's (Phoenix)
Mirezi (New York)
Typhoon Brewery (New York)
Road Trip (Boston)
Different Pointe of View, Pointe Resorts (Phoenix)
The Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station (New York)
Kokachin at the Omni Berkshire [for Elka Gilmore] (New York)
Writing / Literary Credits:
Restaurant Business Magazine (former wine columnist "The Wine Seller")
Sante (contributing editor; columns "The Geek Speaks" & "Pourings")
Food & Wine Magazine
Food Arts
Wine & Spirits Magazine
Wine Enthusiast
Market Watch
Food & Wine's Wine Tastings (CD Rom 1994)
Arizona Trends (monthly column '89-'91)
Sommelier Society of America Newsletter ('92-'97)
Wines from Spain News
Film and Television Credits:
Co-Host, Spirit Basics
QUENCH, Co-Host w/ Andrea Immer, on Food Network
NorthWest Airlines and Food & Wine Magazine in-flight video
Host, The American Mix
Several training videos and product information videos for the trade
Wine Consultant, various feature films
Many guest appearances on network and cable television and radio
Wine [and winelist] Awards:
Olson has received many accolades for his work in wine, and has won several competitions, including the Western regional competition (in L.A.) of the Grand Prix SOPEXA du Sommelier in 1991. Later that year, he went on to finish first runner-up in the National competition. In 1994, he won the Eastern regional competition (in N.Y.), becoming the first and only sommelier ever to win the competition on each coast, and then repeated his performance in the Nationals, retaining his ranking as the #2 ranked sommelier in America.
other accomplishments:
CHEERS Magazine 2005 Beverage Industry Innovator
Sante Magazine Spirits Professional of the Year, 2003
Sake Service Institute of Japan, Kikisake-shi (Sake Master)
Court of Master Sommeliers, Advanced Level
Wine Spectator Grand Award ---Etienne's Different Pointe of View, Pointe Resorts
Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence---Christopher's Mayflower Inn
New York Magazine Best Wine Bar, NYC---Gramercy Tavern runner-up, Oyster Bar
Decanter Magazine Best Wine Bar, USA---Runner-up, Gramercy Tavern
Sante Magazine Best Beverage Program, Bistro---Mirezi
USA Today Best New Wine List---Christopher's
Many restaurant awards, including Mobil Five Stars, AAA Five Diamond, Esquire Best New Restaurant, Relais & Chateau
Educational, Lecture, and Speaking Credits:
Food & Wine Magazine's Aspen Classic ('91-2005)
Institute for Culinary Education (2003-04)
Epcot Int'l Food & Wine Fest, Walt Disney World ('96, '97, '98, '99, '01)
Restaurant Business Menus '99, 2000
Telluride Wine Festival ('95, '96, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, 05)
Cheers Magazine Beverage Conference (2000, 2002, MC 2004, MC 2005)
DeGustibus at Macy's (1995, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, 05)
Bon Appétit Magazine Wine and Spirits Focus [NY] ('95, '96, '99)
International Pinot Noir Celebration [in Oregon] ('96, '98, '99, 2002)
Winter Wine Escape, Master Ceremonies [Hawaii] ('98, '99, '00, '01, '02)
Boston Wine Expo ('99, 2000, 2001)
Washington DC Wine Expo (2000, 2002, 2003)
DiRONA National Conference ('98, '99, 2000)
Cornucopia, Whistler, BC, Canada Wine & Food Festival (2002, '03, '04)
Fine Art of Cuisine Food & Wine Festival, Tysons Corners (2003)
Boca Raton Food & Wine Festival, Master of Ceremonies (2001)
Food & Wine Magazine's Puerto Rico Getaway (with Jacques Pepin '93, '95)
Pinehurst (NC) Wine Festival, Master of Ceremonies ('95, '96)
Russian River Festival ('97, '98)
Wines from Spain "Rioja with Bold Foods" series ('97, '99)
Taos Wine Festival ('97)
Twin Cities Food & Wine Experience ('97)
Bon Appetit Magazine / Crystal Cruises ('97)
Vermont Wine and Food Festival ('97)
Food and Wine Magazine / Crystal Cruises ('98, 2001, 2002)
Windows on the World "Windows on Wine" w/ Kevin Zraly ('98)
International Wine & Food Society
Wines from Spain
Food & Wines from France
Foods & Wine of Greece
Italian Trade Commission
German Wine Information Bureau
UCLA
California Culinary Academy
Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY
Culinary Institute of America, Napa Valley, CA
Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump's)
French Culinary Institute
Swiss School of Hospitality, Beverage Management Instructor ('93)
Co-creator and Director/Lecturer----Tanqueray Mentor Program ('94-'98) and Tanqueray No. Ten Trade and Media Education Program ('99-2004)
Co-creator and Lecturer w/ Doug Frost----Sterling School of Service and Hospitality Spirits Program ('97-2001)
Co-creator and Director/Lecturer----Grand Marnier Trade Education Program ('98-2004)
Co-creator and Director/Lecturer----Absolut Vodka Trade Education Program ('99-2004)
Co-creator and Director/Lecturer----Sherry Trade Education & Awareness Program for Wines from Spain ('99-2004)
Co-creator and Lecturer----Hennessy Higher Marques, Trade & Media Education Program (2002)
Creator, facilitator----The Agave Sessions (2003, '04)
Vice Chairman of National Board of Sommelier Society of America
Co-chair, Education committee ('97-'99)
Judge, ASA Best Sommelier in America , ASI Concours Mondial ('97, '99, '02)
Judge, San Francisco International Wine Competition
Judge, San Francisco International Spirits Competition
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