05/19/2026
Wine, Latin Food, & Friendly Competition 🍷
🗓️June 14, 2026 @ 5:00pm
📍Crasqui Restaurant, St. Paul
💰$150 + gratuity + taxes
Meet MinnSomm Competitors – Libby and Nico! Can we show them both some love?
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Nico’s destiny was to be part of the wine and food world. Born in Burgundy, he was raised in Champagne Provence, he grew up among an epicurean family where wine had an important place on the dining room table. After graduation from the University of Aix-en-Provence, Nico moved to Paris to work notably at Le Taillevent and then for Alain Ducasse at Hostellerie de Abbaye de La Celle, back in Provence.
In the fall of 2005, while traveling in NYC, Nico met Vincent Francoual, Chef/Co-owner of Chloe by Vincent, and he offered him his first job in the US that relocated him to Minneapolis in 2006. After his first stint at Vincent’s Restaurant, he worked for some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities, including Meritage, Spoon & Stable, Bellecour, as well as the Minikahda Club.
Nico is currently the reigning champion of MinnSomm
This is Libby and this is her FIRST MinnSomm competition, but she comes to the competition with no small resume.
Part sommelier, part creative, and full-time enthusiast of good food and great
stories – sprinkle in just a little bit of chaos and you have Libby.
Libby became a sommelier in 2017 after falling head over heels for the wine world while living in Sedona, Arizona. She has spent more than 25 years in the restaurant industry, which basically means she can carry three plates at once and has strong opinions about what’s on them. She has worked with winemakers across the U.S., but becoming a parent in 2016 has been her greatest adventure yet.
She was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and collects stories, friendships, and—let’s be honest—a few too many bottles of wine. Whether it’s art, wine, or storytelling, she's happiest when creating something. She studied at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and later finished her art degree at UW–River Falls. “You only live once—so eat the food, drink the wine, and take the trip.” - Libby