The Best of the Best: The Chefs

A ceremony celebrating the world’s best wines would be nothing without the food to match, and since our first event in 2020, The Golden Vines Awards have played host to some truly exceptional culinary talent. Mauro Colagreco of the hugely acclaimed Mirazur manned the kitchens for our inaugural year, and then Massimo Bottura, Davide Oldani and Matteo Lorenzini delivered equally dazzling Italian-inspired menus in Florence in 2022.

With this year’s awards taking place in Paris – a place where exquisite food and drink are as essential as breathing – we knew we had to deliver something truly special. How could we possibly top what’s gone before? How could we appropriately honour a host country famed and celebrated for its gastronomic brilliance? By having not one but two fantastic chefs, who have blazed a trail in the world of French fine dining and between them gathered a whole constellation of Michelin stars: the legendary Alain Ducasse, a true titan of the industry, and the bold, innovative chef Akrame Benallal.

Alain Ducasse

For anyone even vaguely au fait with the joys of exceptional eating, masterful techniques and elevating produce beyond its mere terroir, Alain Ducasse needs no introduction. For decades he has been at the helm of restaurants across eight countries, from authentic bistros and casual brasseries to three-Michelin-star establishments. One of the world’s most celebrated and pioneering chefs and a passionate advocate for education, he founded Les Collectionneurs, a network of almost five hundred independent restaurants and hotels in Europe, creating an international Education division (Ecole Ducasse) in culinary and pastry arts to encourage the passing of knowledge to a new generation, and the Collège culinaire de France, where cooks and producers can meet and exchange ingredients and ideas. 

A champion of sustainability and eco-friendly cuisine and a true artisan of living and eating well, he believes wholeheartedly in maintaining excellence and creativity throughout his process, producing dishes that are anchored in their terroir and glorify their ingredients, delivering an enriching experience that lingers long in the memory. From farm all the way through to the plate, each one has its own unique story. 

Akrame Benallal

French-born chef, Akrame Benallal, is similarly grounded in the art of culinary storytelling. Part of a new generation of Michelin starred chefs who have shaken up the global fine-dining scene in recent years. A true innovator and creative, and one of the industry’s most ebullient personalities, his cooking showcases the tastes, flavours and smells of his Algerian childhood, marrying them with a world-class technique learned and developed during his time in some of France’s finest kitchens. His is a cuisine founded in memory, delivered with passion and driven by a desire for perfection. 

Born in 1981 in France, and raised in Oran, Benallal learned his love of food from his family. He spent his apprenticeship in Molineuf in the Loir-et-Cher and took his first steps at the Orangerie of Château de Blois before joining the team of Pierre Gagnaire, a three-star chef. He also went through the Elysées restaurant at Vernet in Paris and then did a season at El Bulli at Ferran Adria in Spain. In 2005, he became chef at the Château des 7 Tours in Touraine, before taking over the Trendy Lounge in Tours, which he renamed Atelier d’Akrame.

He currently gives his name to his own restaurant – the much-lauded Akrame, in Paris – where he showcases an ever-changing menu of seasonal and local produce, guided by intuition and the ingredients themselves. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 2012, just one year after it opened, and continues to thrive, bringing unique, vibrant flavours and true culinary flair to the city’s many discerning gourmands.

Both these chefs embody what it is to be ‘the best of the best’, elevating even the most simple ingredients and creating experiences that live long after the final plates have been cleared. We’re hugely excited to welcome them in October, and hope to be sharing a table with you in Paris.

To learn more about the 2023 Golden Vines® Awards, please visit https://liquidicons.com/work/golden-vines-awards.