Emmanuel Kemiji
Master Sommelier
Kemiji became the twelfth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. He then went on to become the first sommelier to establish a commercial winery, Miura Vineyards.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SommCon: A four-day educational conference for wine industry professionals and serious enthusiasts featuring some of today’s greatest thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and artisans.
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS
Court of Master Sommeliers . Level 4 Master Sommelier Diploma
University of California at Davis. Davis, CA
University of California at Davis. Davis, CA
EXPERIENCE
Clos Pissarra. Priorat, Spain. Managing Partner
Miura Vineyards. Santa Rosa, CA. Proprietor
Ritz-Carlton. San Francisco, CA. Director of Wine & Spirits
Ritz-Carlton. Laguna Niguel, CA. Director of Wine & Spirits
Miura Vineyards. Santa Rosa, CA. Proprietor
Ritz-Carlton. San Francisco, CA. Director of Wine & Spirits
Ritz-Carlton. Laguna Niguel, CA. Director of Wine & Spirits
SKILLS & EXPERTISE
Winemaking
Viticulture
Viticulture
Wine Judge
Kemiji became the twelfth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. He then went on to become the first sommelier to establish a commercial winery, Miura Vineyards.
VIDEO
-
Miura Pisoni Pinot Noir
-
Clos Pissarra
-
Interview with MS Emmanuel Kemiji
-
Emmanuel Kemiji by filmmaker Niko Hronopoulos
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
- Sommelier of the Year 1989, California Restaurant Writers Association
- Wine Director of the Year, Critics Choice Awards
- 10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000, San Francisco Chronicle
- Wine Industry Achievement Award 2006, Anti-Defamation League
Share
Born
in the United States and raised in Spain and England of Greek Cypriot and
Spanish parents, Kemiji is a graduate of the University of California at Davis.
In addition to his Economics and Spanish Literature degrees, he studied
Viticulture and Oenology, expanding his interest in wine.
Kemiji acted as Ritz-Carlton Director of Wine & Spirits from 1988 to 1999, first at Laguna Niguel and then at the renowned Dining Room in San Francisco. In 1989 Kemiji became the twelfth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. In the same year, he received the “Sommelier of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Kemiji was also chosen “Wine Director of the Year” in the Critics Choice Awards, and was honored in the August 1999 issue of San Francisco Magazine.
Seeking further challenges led Kemiji to form Miura Vineyards in 1995. Soon to follow were Almvs in 2000, Antiqv2s in 2001, and a project in Spain – Clos Pissarra in 2005. He thus became the first sommelier to establish a commercial winery. The San Francisco Chronicle named Kemiji as one of the “10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000.”
In 2006, Kemiji received the Wine Industry Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League for exemplary commitment to community and charity. In the past he has also been a wine judge at the Los Angeles County Fair and the San Francisco International Wine Competition.
Kemiji acted as Ritz-Carlton Director of Wine & Spirits from 1988 to 1999, first at Laguna Niguel and then at the renowned Dining Room in San Francisco. In 1989 Kemiji became the twelfth American to pass the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and one of only nine to date to pass on his first attempt. In the same year, he received the “Sommelier of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Kemiji was also chosen “Wine Director of the Year” in the Critics Choice Awards, and was honored in the August 1999 issue of San Francisco Magazine.
Seeking further challenges led Kemiji to form Miura Vineyards in 1995. Soon to follow were Almvs in 2000, Antiqv2s in 2001, and a project in Spain – Clos Pissarra in 2005. He thus became the first sommelier to establish a commercial winery. The San Francisco Chronicle named Kemiji as one of the “10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000.”
In 2006, Kemiji received the Wine Industry Achievement Award from the Anti-Defamation League for exemplary commitment to community and charity. In the past he has also been a wine judge at the Los Angeles County Fair and the San Francisco International Wine Competition.