Pascaline Lepeltier is a renowned French sommelier originally from the Loire Valley. After studying philosophy, she discovered a deep passion for wine that led her to become an influential figure. She is currently a partner at Chambers Restaurant in New York City, known for its cuisine based on market-fresh ingredients and a wine list that boasts nearly 4,000 labels.
Born in La Rochelle on January 9, 1981, Pascaline Lepeltier grew up in Angers, in the heart of the Loire Valley. Initially oriented towards an academic career, she obtained a degree in philosophy with the intention of becoming a university lecturer. However, in 2005, during an internship with a renowned Parisian caterer, she had the opportunity to taste a 1937 Château d'Yquem, a sweet Sauternes wine. This encounter ignited an overwhelming passion that led her to radically change her career path.
Determined to follow this new vocation, she obtained a DESS and a Master's degree in International Restaurant Management, followed by a complementary mention in Sommellerie at the CFA of the Angers Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She began her career as a sommelier at the Auberge Bretonne, a two-star Michelin restaurant, under Jacques Thorel. She soon won the "Best Young Sommelier of the Wines of the Loire" and "Best Sommelier of Brittany" competitions.
In 2009, she moved to New York to take on the role of beverage director at Rouge Tomate, where she built a critically acclaimed list focused on mostly sustainable wines. The New York Times named the list one of the best in the Big Apple in 2013, and The World of Fine Wine named it "World's Best Long Wine List 2017" and "Wine List of the Year 2017".
In 2018, she co-founded Racines NY, which later morphed into Chambers in 2022, located in the TriBeCa neighborhood. Here, along with Jonathan Karis and General Manager Jared David, offers cuisine that emphasizes market-fresh ingredients paired with a bottle selection focused on artisanal producers, mostly organic, biodynamic and natural.
Pascaline graduated as a Master Sommelier in 2014, and in 2018, she received two prestigious awards in France: she was named "Meilleur Ouvrier de France - Sommellerie" and "Best Sommelier of France", the first woman to receive both titles. In January 2019, the magazine La Revue du Vin de France named her "Personality of the Year 2019".
In 2022, she will publish her first solo book, Mille Vignes, Penser le vin de demain. The English version is available from the fall of 2024.
