2011 James Beard Awards Lifetime Achievement: Kevin Zraly

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The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual whose lifetime body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook, or think about food in America.

Kevin Zraly's passion for wine and his uncanny ability to translate the world of wine into a fun and approachable subject have led him to become one of the world's leading wine educators and best-selling wine authors. He began his career as a waiter and bartender at John Novi's Depuy Canal House restaurant, and later journeyed to vineyards both here and abroad. After moving to New York City and a chance meeting Chef Barbara Kafka and legendary restaurateur Joe Baum in 1976, Kevin became cellar master and eventually wine director for the renowned Windows on the World restaurant atop the World Trade Center. By 2000, Windows was the country's top-grossing restaurant, and with Kevin at the reins of its renowned wine program from the day it opened to its final tragic day, September 11, 2001, it had sold more wine than any restaurant in the country.

It was also at Windows that Kevin established his Windows on the World Wine School, which is still going strong today. There, Kevin, a born communicator with quick wit, high energy and an engaging style, demystifies wine for his students, stripping away intimidation and pretension and making it accessible to all. Now in its 35th year, this perpetually sold out course is held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and has won the praises of wine experts around the world. To date, more than 20,000 people have graduated from the Windows on the World Wine School, from wine novices and aficionados to top chefs and culinary professionals. In 1985, Kevin decided to translate his classes onto the pages of a book, distilling his years of wine travel and knowledge into Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Like his classes, the book offered an unprecedented depth of information presented in an easy-to-understand style, taking readers on a worldwide journey from grape to glass. It became a runaway success that has since been lauded by some of the world's most respected wine writers. Every year, Kevin updates the book with additional wine recommendations and lessons, and in 2009, he celebrated its 25th anniversary edition. With a 2012 edition soon on its way, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course has become the #1 best-selling wine book in the world, with more than three million copies sold to date. In Kevin's hands, learning about wine is (almost) as fun as it is to drink.

Kevin has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and accolades, including the 2006 Wine Literary Award, the European Wine Council's Lifetime Achievement Award, the 1993 James Beard Foundation Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award, the Food and Beverage Association's Man of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Wine Educators. Kevin is a member of Culinary Institute of America's Board of Trustees, author of Kevin Zraly's American Wine Guide (the only book that covers wine in all 50 U.S. states) and the newly-released The Ultimate Wine Companion: The Complete Guide to Understanding Wine by the World's Foremost Wine Authorities, moderator of the Sherry-Lehmann/Kevin Zraly Master Wine Classes and Wine Club in New York City, and co-creator (with Robert Parker) of the Parker & Zraly Wine Certification Program on eRobertParker.com.


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