Chantelle Pabros shares Chef Laurent Gras’ love for time spent at the table and is honored to enhance his cuisine and their guests’ dining experience with an inspired wine list. “There is nothing more enjoyable than translating the creations in the kitchen and the creations from the vineyard into a memory,” Pabros says. With a warm and modest demeanor and an extensive background in wine, she is in fact the ideal translator.
At 26-years old, Pabros has extensive experience in fine dining and wine service, having worked on the soil, in the cellars and in the dining room. She began her career at the age of 18 at Chef Joel Antunes’ Joel Restaurant in Atlanta. The acclaimed restaurant boasted a 1,400-bottle collection led by Master Sommelier, Philippe Buttin. Under Buttin’s tutelage, Pabros became Assistant Sommelier and competed in Young Sommelier competitions. At the age of 22, she went on to become The Wine Director at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead, Georgia. In this prestigious position, Pabros was the first female and the youngest Wine Director in the restaurant’s 21-year history. Her collaboration with The Dining Room’s acclaimed chefs, Bruno Menard and Arnaud Berthelier respectively, further refined her ability to pair wine with sophisticated cuisine.
At L2O, Pabros has created an extensive collection, offering guests opportunities to indulge in artisanal wines from small producers worldwide who share the restaurant’s dedication to quality. The extensive list accommodates every guest’s palate but is structured by elegant varietals that truly elicit the unique flavors of Gras’ cuisine. The collection boasts pure and concentrated whites from Burgundy and the Loire, an extensive array of Rieslings and Pinot Noirs of classic and progressive expressions. Celebrated producers featured on the list include: Lucien Le Moine of Côte d'Or, Au Bon Climate of Santa Barbara, Bartolo Mascarello of Piemonte, and August Kesseler of Rheingau. L2O’s comprehensive champagne selection is ripe with aromatic finesse and femininity. Sakes, hailing from the finest prefectures in Japan, provide a playful accent to a meal, and are available by the glass and half-bottle to encourage experimentation.
Pabros’ calm, humble manner accommodates wine drinkers of all knowledge levels. Guests eager to discover more about wine will appreciate Pabros’ approachable, curious nature as she discerns their palate before selecting a bottle. She is excited to exchange conversation with wine aficionados and aims to steer them towards wines so unique and unforgettable, that they will be compelled to add it to their own collection.
An insatiable student, Pabros travels to vineyards around the world and participates in vertical tastings in Burgundy annually. In 2007 she worked the harvests in both the Napa and Loire valleys and came away with an even greater appreciation for winemakers. Having passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Sommelier exam in 2006, Pabros is currently studying to become a Master Sommelier.
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