Mr. Stone has had a varied and long career as a working sommelier. He became the first American to win the title of International Best Sommelier in French Wines and Spirits in Paris and remains the only American to have earned the title of Maitre Sommelier from the Union de la Sommelerie Française. He is also an English-certified Master Sommelier, one of a handful who has passed the examination on the first attempt. He was the 9th American Master to pass the exam in its history.

Larry has been the only two-time recipient of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service, once for Charlie Trotter's and once for Rubicon restaurant, and was Santé magazine's Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional of the Year 2000. Under his guidance, Rubicon restaurant earned the prestigious Wine Spectator Grand Award annually from 1998 to 2008. The Guide Michelin awarded Rubicon restaurant a star from its first American edition until the restaurant closed.

Before joining Rubicon Estate as Gérant–General Manager in January 2006, Larry Stone was a member of the Board of Directors of the Coppola Companies, and had worked with Niebaum-Coppola Estate as an advisor. With New York restaurateur Drew Nieporent, Larry created Rubicon Restaurant, in honor of the Estate which he now runs, in San Francisco in 1994.

He has also served on the Board of the Kronos Quartet, a highly acclaimed string quartet. In 2004, Larry was elected to the Board of Directors of the Court of Master Sommeliers and served until 2008. In March of 2005, he became a Trustee of the James Beard Foundation, one of the most prestigious culinary organizations in the world, and helped to revitalize it with a new board and reinvigorated membership. He still serves on the Board. In 2009 Larry became the President of the Rutherford Dust Society, an association of growers and winemakers in the historic AVA of Napa Valley. As such he is working to promote organic and sustainable farming practices. Most recently the Society has broken dirt on a project that will restore the native habitat to Napa River and extend the wild salmon runs into a further 65 miles of watershed. The RDRT Project will plant 20,000 native trees in the next three years.

Larry has also mentored and encouraged many people in the wine and restaurant professions who have gone on to have successful careers of their own. Gourmet Magazine has honored him in August 2009 with a newly created Mentorship Award.

As a graduate student, Mr. Stone received a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany to study the influence of Friedrich Nietzsche on Post-Modern Literary Criticism. He also received an NEH grant to develop a pilot Humanities program for Science majors that would incorporate global cultures, history and arts, the Philosophy of Science and the cultural and ethical issues facing scientists.

Leadership