Starting his restaurant career, at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in a small town just south of Pittsburgh. Aaron developed a deep curiosity about wine, being exposed to a large cellar and Wine Spectator award winning list. Having had the honor of working throughout various restaurants on the property he honed his skills in fine dining.
With wine on the mind, California dreaming wasn’t far away. In 2012, he enrolled at the International Culinary Center in Campbell, CA to complete the Intensive Sommelier Program as well the CMS certified exam, at the age of 21. From there he returned to Nemacolin for a year. But California again came calling, this time in the form of a job offer at Manresa, at the time a 2 star Michelin restaurant by Chef David Kinch in Los Gatos, CA. There he worked as a Sommelier with Jim Rollston MS. After recovering from a devastating fire that closed Manresa, Aaron was privileged to be part of the team when Manresa earned their third Michelin star.
After passing the CMS Advanced Exam at the age of 24, he consulted briefly for the wine list at the Inn at Park Winters. Quince in San Francisco was the next stop. At Quince Aaron has been able to help expand the wine program, as well as being able to be part of the transition from 2 to 3 Michelin stars once again. While remaining at Quince Aaron continues to prepare for the Master Sommelier exam and occasionally teaches wine educational classes in the Bay Area. Aaron is the 2018 recipient of ICC’s Outstanding Alumni Award for Outstanding Sommelier.
Aaron Babcock graduated from the International Culinary Center (ICC), founded as The French Culinary Institute (FCI). In 2020, ICE and ICC came together on one strong and dynamic national platform at ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles. ICC’s culinary education legacy lives on at ICE, where you can explore your own future in wine.
