Sommelier & Wine Director Willard Hotel

London-born sommelier Caterina Abbruzzetti brings more than 10 years of experience with wine program development for some of the world's most celebrated restaurants to The Willard Room at the Willard InterContinetal Hotel. Culling wines from around the world with a focus on small producers, quality and value, Ms. Abbruzzetti is creating a 3,000-bottle wine cellar with more than 250 different labels, working closely with Chef Nicolas Legret, (to select wines that include those compatible with The Willard Room tasting menus with wine pairings) and working with the hotel's executive chef, Daniel Kenney, to bring fine wine offerings to all the culinary outlets of the historic Willard InterContinental hotel.

Prior to joining the Willard, Ms. Abbruzzetti served as assistant sommelier at Michel Richard's Citronelle under Chef Sommelier Mark Slater, and she built and directed the wine program for Restaurant 2941 (Falls Church, VA), which received recognition from Washingtonian Magazine as on of the top best wine lists in 2006. Her resume includes intense training at restaurants such as The French Laundry and Charlie Trotter's in the U.S. to Le Gavroche (London).

Ms. Abbruzzetti received her Viticulture Degree at Napa Valley College in Napa Valley, California; she holds a Court of Master Sommeliers Certificate and is a member of Les Dames des' Escoffier DC and CR Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. She currently is pursuing her Masters of Wine and is on her third advanced levels through the Washington Wine Academy and The Spirit and Wine Education Trust in Great Britain. She passed with distinction.

Caterina Abbruzzetti
Sommelier, The Willard Room
My passion for wine -- being in the wine business and working with wine -- is my life's obsession.

I love working with wine and food and enjoy every minute of the journey I have taken in becoming a sommelier. Growing up in the restaurant business as I did, surrounded by generations of a family deeply rooted in the business of food and wine, made becoming a sommelier a natural career choice. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to learn from some of finest sommeliers in the world. The wealth of passing on knowledge and learning from others who share my passion, certainly is one of the best ways to learn. Regardless of how much I know or ever will learn, I can never know enough about wine, and I try to incorporate all that I learn from others at the Willard.

One of my main efforts for The Willard Room is the wine program. I do my best to offer thoughtful, fulfilling wine accompaniments to compliment any menu, including the Chef's Tasting menu; the ` la carte selections; the desert menu, and the wine and cheese selections. For me it's all about the show and the overall experience, so that dining in The Willard Room is an unforgettable experience for every guest.

I continually work to create and evolve a program that entails all aspects of experiencing wines, including being always available to guide and educate guests on the wines they have selected for their meals. Wine trends are constantly changing, so I also try to keep up with them to deliver the most up-to-date selections.

Buying and collecting older wines and vintages also is important for any wine program, but having them stored correctly is the key. As I work to collect older vintages from around the world, I have nestled two Vinotheque cellars in The Willard Room to ensure better service and so that I can quickly find the perfect bottle for my guests. Few sommeliers with wine programs can say that; usually, the wine cellar and storage are afterthoughts, when building a wine program.

I try to encourage guests to discover how the land, air, water and weather help to make each wine unique. That's why great names like Port, Champagne and Sherry are more than just types of wine; they're from specific regions in Portugal, Fra