Jon McDaniel Sommelier

When a young Jon McDaniel began his studies in politics and
corporate law, his goal was "to take over the world, in a good
way," he jokes. During a brief stint at a lobbying firm in
Washington, D.C., McDaniel realized the cutthroat political arena
wasn't his scene. So when one of the firm's clients, a wine
retailer, offered him a job, he dropped everything and reset his
course.


In the dozen years since, McDaniel has tried his hand at almost
every role in the industry, working in retail, export,
distribution and even winemaking. In 2010, after beverage
consulting for the World Cup in South Africa, he finally figured
out where he fit most comfortably into the wine world:
restaurants. McDaniel joined the team at Los Olivos Wine Merchant
and Café in Santa Barbara, Calif., then was lured to the Midwest
to work as manager and sommelier for the Purple Pig in Chicago.


Now 34 ("going on 85," he quips), McDaniel is the corporate
beverage director for the newly renamed Gage Hospitality Group,
which includes five Chicago-area restaurants: Acanto, the Gage,
Beacon Tavern, Coda di Volpe and the Dawson. He also finds time
to teach hospitality classes and make wine under his own label.
Editorial assistant Lexi Williams caught up with McDaniel to
check on his progress toward (wine) world domination.