Few professionals in the wine world are more dedicated to – and passionate about – the relationship between food, wine and Italian culture than Lars Leicht.
After a short stint in journalism, Lars started “dragging the sample bag” filled with some of Italy’s best wines and never looked back. Three decades of ‘spreading the gospel of fine wine’ launched from New York to across the US, Canada, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, with complementary management roles in sales, marketing, hospitality and public relations. With this unique perspective, Lars understands the nuances of the Italian wine industry.
Lars talks up wine and food anywhere he can: on the high seas with Disney Cruise Lines; as frequent panelist and moderator at SommCon and TexSomm;
in lecture halls at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Business, Columbia Law School, the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, and the North Miami Campus of Johnson and Wales; alongside renowned chefs at Degustibus Cooking School in New York; while giving cooking lessons at Central Market in Texas and PubliX in Florida; while translating for winemakers in the vineyards and wineries of Chile and Italy; and even from behind the wheel of a car in the movie “SOMM II: Into the Bottle.”
Since 1998 Lars has brought over 100 wine professionals on Guild of Sommeliers scholarship trips to tour the vineyards, wineries and culinary temples of Italy. As founder and de-facto “Dean” of Cru College, he has brought Italian winemakers across the US for insightful seminars and exceptional tastings.
On top of his professional experience, a personal background – including a passion for Italian cuisine inherited from his Roman mother and a winemaking tradition passed on by his Austrian father – makes Lars an ideal wine ambassador. Lars continuously, with wit and style, brings new insight to food and wine pairing, never letting us forget that wine is food.