Amy Racine oversees a dozen beverage programs across the nation and is a tireless advocate and ally uplifting others in hospitality.
“No other position can manage the cellar, host, barista, take food orders, bus, run food and make drinks,” says Amy Racine about her fellow sommeliers. “That said, the sommelier also has the unique opportunity to tell the story of your space. The selections on the list, the way the list reads, and how that list is presented support the ‘why’ of the restaurant. It can drive home a perspective on culture and culinary arts.”
As Beverage Director of Chef John Fraser’s JF Restaurants group, and consultant with New York’s acclaimed Tatiana By Kwame Onwuachi, Racine oversees a dozen beverage programs nationally, including a Michelin-starred Tampa location and Boston’s new Vermilion Club (which has more than 75 drinks on its cocktail list). While every program is tailored to its concept and location, she always champions winemakers who break longstanding norms of race, gender and orientation, and supports the same in her community. She recently partnered with Brazilian photographer Marcos Alberti on “3 Glasses Later,” an ongoing photographic initiative to illustrate and celebrate the changing face of the wine industry.
“It was a simple thing that established my respect for Amy: She was incredibly kind,” says Amy Chappellet of Chappellet Vineyard & Winery in St. Helena. “Beyond that, her wine knowledge, professionalism and commitment to the highest level of hospitality are in every wine list in her portfolio. She is
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
