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 always looking to highlight the producers that are not only making great wines but also embody an ethos that resonates with her and her customers. Behind the bottle are the people whose stories define each and every producer out there, and Amy listens to those stories.”
In a relatively brief span, Racine moved from Sommelier to Beverage Director to a partner in JF Restaurants. With her roots in both the food and wine sides, her interest in every corner of the beverage category has become expertise. (“Cross-education across the beverage world is a necessity,” she notes.) Her career trajectory, and the acclaim her programs have received, are illustrative of the increasingly important role of beverage directors in an ever-shifting industry.
“Amy is hospitality obsessed and provides incredible mentorship and leadership across her programs, encouraging creativity and innovation,” says John Fraser. “In a rapidly changing landscape, we’re grateful for Amy’s collaboration and the community she fosters by leading through example and pushing the boundaries of what beverage can mean to our guests and our company.”
Part of what makes Racine a Wine Star is her enthusiasm and faith in the impact that can be held in a glass of wine.
“I’m inspired by leaders like Touré Folkes, who started the non-profit Turning Tables NOLA to offer hospitality and beverage education to people of color in New Orleans, and Victoria James who cofounded the nonprofit Wine Empowered to offer tuition-free wine classes to women and BIPOC in hospitality,” says Racine. “When I was coming up in the business, there was little beverage education at all, let alone anything affordable and accessible. I’m so grateful for how I got here, but I’m proud of what we’ve become as a community and what we are handing to the next generation. This industry is changing to show more walks of life and diversity and I think it’s essential.”
25th Annual Wine Star Awards
Monday, January 27, 2025
The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square
Please join us in celebrating the 25th anniversary of Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Awards and congratulating the 2024 winners at the annual black-tie gala in January. Register for tickets and tables HERE .
For event inquiries on the annual Wine Star Awards gala, please contact LaShana Daniels at LDaniels@wineenthusiast.net .
Published: November 14, 2024
