Chef Donald Berger Professional Biography

Donald Berger is a partner and the Managing Director of the Vine Quality Hospitality Group based in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam. His international experience with wine and food spans 29 years in the quality hospitality business, and he was responsible for organizing with the Chairman of the International Wine Challenge Robert Joseph; the annual International Wine Challenge Vietnam 2002 & 2003, co-organizing for IWC Shanghai 1999 & 2000. He was also on the founding Board of the Shanghai Chef’s Association and Shanghai Chaine de Rotisseurs as Consellier Culinare responsible for the wine program.

The Vine Group business scope includes Vietnam’s first Bona Fida wine destination in the Vine Wine Boutique Bar & Café, a wine & hospitality related wholesale business , an art gallery featuring vaulted Vietnamese artist Fam Luc, an import export division, and a public relations company Grape Vine Image Consultants.

Berger worked in the exciting cities of Bangkok, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai where he worked in the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong, Tokyo Capital Club and Shanghai American Club, and amassed a loyal following of crème de la crème, including Presidents, Prime Ministers, Royalty, Ambassadors, CEO’s, celebrities, artists, and top dignitaries. He was recruited to come to Vietnam to be the Executive Chef and Assistant General Manager of Hanoi Press Club where he worked for 3 years before setting out on his own.

The events created by Chef Berger have become legendary in these city’s inner circles and included the successful Great Chef’s International Wine Challenge charity events, numerous cigar and wine maker dinners, Ladies Epicurean dinners, Thai, French Italian, Irish, American, Canadian, Cuban, Austrian, Chilean, Spanish, Australian & New Zealand Dinners, wine tastings, children’s & holiday events, guided Gourmet Wine & Dine Tour De France, Gala Celebrations, and Chaine Des Rotisseur gastronomic evenings.

Chef Berger a Montreal born Canadian worked with the Ritz Carlton Group for nine years, opening the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong as Executive Chef, he was also posted with the Ritz Carltons, in Laguna Niguel and opened Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. Previous experience included stints in Monte Carlo with Alain Ducasse at Louis XV in the Hotel De Paris, Milan Italy with 3 star chef Gualtiero Marchesi, The Four Season’s Hotel in New Port Beach California, The Westin Hotel group in Hawaii at the Mauna Kea Beach Resort, The Los Angeles Century Plaza and Towers, the Westin Calgary and the Windsor Arms Relais & Chateau in Toronto. He also worked in the vineyards of France, the vineyards & fishing boats in Greece, In Harrods of London, the Joyce Cafes in Hong Kong & Bangkok and The Robert Trent Jones Sr. Kananiskis Golf Course in Alberta and as a head cook on tour in the Canadian Arctic Circle with Western Geophysical.

Donald Berger has organized wine lists for Press Club Hanoi, Shanghai American Club, Ritz Carlton Hong Kong Vine Wine Bar Boutique & Café and Viet Dang Co., Ltd wine importers. The International Wine Challenge Vietnam 2002 & 2003 the International Wine Challenge Shanghai Great Chef’s of Shanghai Gala Dinner 1999 & 2000, and organized and selected the wine judges for IWC Shanghai 1999 & 2000. He organized the culinary events for the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel’s World of Wines festival for 3 years, Award of Merit from the Escoffier Society. He was also on the founding board of the Shanghai Chef’s Association and Shanghai Chaine de Rotisseurs as Consellier Culinare responsible for the wine program.

“My wife Nok and I are completely captivated with Vietnam, as the beauty, people, cultural richness, quality of life, opportunities, and appreciation of peace here are so charmingly vibrant in daily life. Our goals are simple; to after a long and widely traveled career in hospitality in some of the finest venues in the world, to settle down here with very long term goals, build a successful business, start a family and share in the development of the this charisma.

For further information, please contact: Website: www.vine-group.com

* Donald Berger, Vine Group Managing Director,

Tel: (+84-4) 716 0645, Fax: (+84-4) 719 8001

Mobile: (84) 91 300 1359.

E-mail: donchef@vine-group.com

* Nguyen Ngoc Ly, Vine Group Public Relations Manager,

Tel: (+84-4) 719 8321, Fax: (+84-4) 719 8465

Mobile: (84) 91 357 1378,

Email: ly.grapevine@vine-group.com