The Mansion on Turtle Creek
Dallas

• The Mansion on Turtle Creek
• Kinkead’s, Washington
• The Occidental, Washington
• Le Pavillon, Washington

Michael Flynn never considered wine as a career. Armed with an undergraduate degree in French, from Middlebury College, in Vermont, (graduating cum laude, with High Departmental Honors), Michael continued his education in French and linguistics at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C. It was during this period that he became involved with the Washington Sommelier Society, where he enrolled in the annual Wine Captain’s Seminar, a rigorous, twelve week course on wine tasting, service, and theory. He finished by scoring first in his class. Always an avid gourmet cook, his love for fine wine was then sealed.

In 1988, Micheal worked as Sommelier with one of America’s finest chefs, Yanick Cam at the renowned Le Pavillon, presiding over a Wine Spectator Grand Award winning cellar of over 65,000 bottles. It was here that he developed a lifelong love of fine Burgundy, and under the expertise of Chef Cam he quickly became known as one of Washington’s most ardent wine professionals. Michael then worked as Sommelier at The Occidental, a Washington landmark, where he earned Awards of Excellence and consistent critical praise for three years in a row.

As Wine Director and Sommelier at Kinkead’s in Washington. Michael earned seven Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Mr. Flynn has been described as Washington’s “best known, best loved sommelier” (Washingtonian Magazine, August 1998), and “one of America’s finest sommeliers” (Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, December, 1997.) In the Fall of 1998, Food and Wine Magazine polled a group of experts, with Kinkead’s voted Best American Wine list in the nation’s capitol. Gourmet magazine followed suit, and voted Kinkead’s Best for Wine in its 1999 Reader’s Poll.

In the Spring of 2000, Mr. Flynn was nominated by the James Beard Foundation for Outstanding Wine Service. Restaurant Hospitality Magazine named him one their Rising Stars of the Year shortly thereafter.

In the Fall of 2001, Chef Kinkead opened his acclaimed American restaurant, Colvin Run Tavern, in the northern Virginia suburbs, and Mr. Flynn was named wine director for that establishment as well. In 2003, Mr. Flynn received his second nomination from the James Beard Foundation, and in 2005 he received his third. In the Spring of 2004, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington awarded Kinkead’s its annual RAMMY award for Outstanding Wine and Beverage Program.

In 2007, Michael joined the Mansion at Turtle Creek as its Director of Wine and Beverage and helped oversee the beverage portion of its $6 million dollar renovation.