Evan Workman Head Sommelier, Pierchic

Dubai, UAE, September 23, 2018:  Meats with red wine and fish with white. While this age-old dictum may give you pairing confidence, for a flawless foodie experience, it may be wiser to let the experts take the reins. With true love for the bounty of the sea, and a heartfelt understanding of marrying seafood with wine, Evan Workman takes position as Head Sommelier at Pierchic. 

Bitten by the wine bug early on, American-born Evan started his career as Beverage Director/ Sommelier in 2003 working with three separate restaurants; BLT Fish, Fish Shack and Private Dining, in New York. Quickly gaining an understanding of tastings, pairing, selecting, and discussing wines for seated dinners and cocktail parties, Evan moved to Maslow 6 Wine Shop & Wine Bar, New York, followed by a two-year stint at Grace Bay Club. 

His impressive growth in the wine business led to a prolific two years at Gotham Bar and Grill, as Head Sommelier, after which there was no looking back. At this Michelin-starred, iconic New York institution, Evan took charge of the beverage program and was responsible for curating a menu of assorted cocktails, beer and a selection of 750 wines from the Wine Spectator Award winning wine list. With a sizeable portion of his career centered in popular restaurants across Manhattan (NYC), he had gained a comfortable familiarity with a variety of producers that were certified organic, bio-dynamic and practice sustainability. Before moving to Dubai, Evan migrated to the breezy Baa Atoll, Maldives and by the middle of the year, he decided to turn his attention to Middle Eastern shores. 

Floating above the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf, dining at Pierchic is an unhurried experience. Drinking in the theatrical view on arrival, diners get a sense of walking directly into the ocean. Apart from the impeccable standard of food, drink and service, ‘sustainability’ lies at the very heart of the legacy brand’s philosophy, and this has extended to wine as well, with a list comprising entirely of sustainably-produced organic grape.

Behind the restaurant’s award-winning wine list, stands a formidable partnership of Evan and General Manager Luca Gagliardi. Under their leadership, Pierchic has recently been honoured by ‘Wine Spectator’ with the 2018 ‘Award of Excellence’ for their exclusive and exceptional wine programme. Wine Spectator’s Restaurant Awards honours the world’s best wine lists and recognizes restaurants with diverse and well-chosen wine lists that complement their cuisine as well as appeal to the palates of a wide range of wine connoisseurs.

A project of passion, Evan is invested in educating the service and bar team about the nuances of product knowledge, upselling as well as wine pairing so that they intuitively anticipate guests’ needs when making wine recommendations. Working closely with the Head Mixologist, who has created most of Pierchic’s signature cocktails, Evan is determined to continuously perfect pricing structure, minimize waste and reduce beverage cost. Evan has great plans for Pierchic’s already thriving wine list, which currently represents over 10 countries, and is in the process of introducing new favourites from South Africa and Lebanon in the upcoming weeks.

Evan is known not only for his incredible tasting abilities and vast knowledge, but also for his friendly and professional approach. He has a relaxed manner and looked upon as a great educator within the team for his vast understanding of gastronomy, wine and other beverages.