Kevin Zraly
Encyclopedia
Kevin Zraly is an American
wine
educator and the founder of the Windows on the World Wine School, who has been described as America's most famous and entertaining wine teacher.
Between 1976 and 2001, Zraly held the position of wine director for the Windows on the World
restaurant, on the top floors of New York's 1 WTC World Trade Center
, America's top-grossing restaurant. Zraly was hired by Joe Baum
whilst a 25-year-old wine salesman and self-educated oenophile with a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY New Paltz
, and is since credited with introducing California wine
to the American public, as well as helping to pioneer the use of progressive markup
on wine in US restaurants. After the collapse of the World Trade Center
on September 11, 2001, the school relocated to the New York Marriott Marquis.
Zraly's book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course with its annual updates, is among America's best-selling wine books selling over 3 million copies worldwide, and Kevin Zraly's American Wine Guide (2006) is the first book that deals comprehensively with all 50 states as modern wine-producing states. Kevin's latest book, The Ultimate Wine Companion, will be released in November 2010.
In 2007, Zraly and Robert Parker
launched the Parker & Zraly Wine Certification Program.
In May of 2011, Zraly was awarded the prestigious James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
educator and the founder of the Windows on the World Wine School, who has been described as America's most famous and entertaining wine teacher.
Between 1976 and 2001, Zraly held the position of wine director for the Windows on the World
Windows on the World
Windows on the World was a complex of venues at the top floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan that included a restaurant, Windows on the World, a smaller restaurant called Wild Blue, and a bar called The Greatest Bar on Earth, as well as rooms for private functions...
restaurant, on the top floors of New York's 1 WTC World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, America's top-grossing restaurant. Zraly was hired by Joe Baum
Joe Baum
Joseph Harold Baum was an American restaurateur and innovator responsible for creating the country's first themed restaurants, including masterpieces such as The Four Seasons Restaurant, Windows on the World, and the restored Rainbow Room...
whilst a 25-year-old wine salesman and self-educated oenophile with a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY New Paltz
State University of New York at New Paltz
The State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
, and is since credited with introducing California wine
California wine
California wine has a long and continuing history, and in the late twentieth century became recognized as producing some of the world's finest wine. While wine is made in all fifty U.S. states, up to 90% of American wine is produced in the state...
to the American public, as well as helping to pioneer the use of progressive markup
Markup (business)
Markup is the difference between the cost of a good or service and its selling price. A markup is added on to the total cost incurred by the producer of a good or service in order to create a profit. The total cost reflects the total amount of both fixed and variable expenses to produce and...
on wine in US restaurants. After the collapse of the World Trade Center
Collapse of the World Trade Center
The twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, 2001, as a result of al-Qaeda's September 11 attacks, in which terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners, flying one into the North Tower and another into the South Tower...
on September 11, 2001, the school relocated to the New York Marriott Marquis.
Zraly's book Windows on the World Complete Wine Course with its annual updates, is among America's best-selling wine books selling over 3 million copies worldwide, and Kevin Zraly's American Wine Guide (2006) is the first book that deals comprehensively with all 50 states as modern wine-producing states. Kevin's latest book, The Ultimate Wine Companion, will be released in November 2010.
In 2007, Zraly and Robert Parker
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
launched the Parker & Zraly Wine Certification Program.
In May of 2011, Zraly was awarded the prestigious James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award.