World of Wine Event, LLC

Over the years, many prestigious awards have been bestowed upon Schmidt and The Rattlesnake Club including the Ivy Award, the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef of the Midwest,” Gourmet’s “America’s Top Tables” and “America’s Best Restaurants,” Wine Spectator’s “Award Winning Wine Lists,” the DiRoNA Award and the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences’ “Star Diamond Award.”

Schmidt is the Director of Sports Nutrition for GM/Corvette Racing and coordinates catering services for the “24 Hours of LeMans” race in LeMans, France. Schmidt is the creator of LifeForceV & Life 2 Go, a “fully functional Beverage”, which promotes stamina and focus through superior natural nutrition.

Schmidt has authored and co-authored several cookbooks including Cooking for all Seasons (MacMillan, 1991), Jimmy Schmidt’s Cooking Class (Detroit Free Press, 1994), and Heart Healthy Cooking for all Seasons released in 1996. Schmidt writes a weekly column for the Detroit News/Gannett Wire Services appearing in 200 newspapers across the country. He was the founder of Chefs Collaborative and former board member of Share Our Strength

While studying electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, Schmidt traveled to France to obtain foreign language credits toward his degree. He stayed to pursue a culinary and wine career, receiving Culinary Degrees from Luberon College and the French Institute Technique du Vin diploma from Maison du Vin in Avignon in 1974. In 1976, he received his Professional Chef’s diploma Magna Cum Laude, graduating First in Class, from Modern Gourmet, Inc., Newton Centre, Massachusetts, under the direction of Madeleine Kamman. After serving as Senior Chef at Chez La Mere Madeleine, New Centre, Mass., he moved to Detroit in 1977 to become Executive Chef and Executive General Manager of the London Chop House. Schmidt attended Harvard Business School for 4 years with Young Presidents Organization (YPO).