Andrea Immer Robinson

The Climb

Southern Methodist University sits at the start of Andrea Immer Robinson’s path, but the practical education came later, in rooms where service and cellar management carried real pressure. Before wine became the center of her work, she was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. The shift into hospitality came through the wine department staff at Windows on the World in New York City, where the scale of the room and the demands of the cellar shaped the next stage of her professional life. At Windows on the World in New York City, Andrea Immer Robinson became the first female cellar master from 1992, a milestone in a field that had long been male-dominated. She later served there as beverage director and cellarmaster, positions that placed her inside both the menu and the mechanics of service. From there, her work moved beyond one dining room into broader leadership: corporate director of beverage programs at Starwood and dean of wine studies at International Culinary Center, roles that extended her reach into hospitality operations and wine instruction. Since 2008, Andrea Immer Robinson has been Master Sommelier of Delta Air Lines, bringing her knowledge of wine service into a context shaped by travel, volume, and consistency.

Today

Hosting CIA at Copia in Napa, California, Andrea Immer Robinson continues to work in a setting where service and education overlap. The position fits a career built on practical knowledge and the ability to translate it for others. Wine service, wine education, and the discipline needed to hold both together remain central to her work. Asked about Bordeaux, she said, "I'm really excited about the Bordeaux varietals," a comment that reads less as a slogan than as a working sommelier’s preference: specific, direct, and rooted in the bottle.

Signature

Andrea's signature dishes include The ONE, Great Wines Made SIMPLE, Everyday Dining with Wine, Quench, and Simply Wine. The titles point to the same method that runs through her career: plain language, useful framing, and an emphasis on getting wine out of the abstract and onto the table. They read like tools for service as much as books, built to give the reader confidence rather than ceremony.

In Their Words “Cabernet Franc! I've had a few varietal Cabernet Francs. Please make more! I just think Walla Walla can really carve out a niche there.”

Recognition

Andrea's honors include James Beard Award, Wine Literary Award, Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year, and best sommelier in the United States. Taken together, those awards track a career that has mattered on the floor, in print, and in wine education, with recognition from the trade at each point of the work.