Jill Zimorski

The Path

University of Virginia gave Jill Zimorski the academic start; the dining room gave her the operating vocabulary. Early work in Charlottesville, Virginia, placed her inside hospitality’s basic mechanics, where composure and pace matter as much as taste. At a boutique hotel with a fancy restaurant, the management position demanded oversight. At a small French restaurant in Charlottesville, VA, service sharpened the table-side instincts that wine leadership depends on: attention, timing, and the ability to work a room without interrupting it. As the work moved into Washington, D.C, the scope widened and the roles became more explicit about leadership. General manager at Palette at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C, then restaurant manager at Charlie Palmer Steak in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C, put Zimorski in the operational center of the business. Those positions call for coordination across service, guest experience, and staff flow. The next step, sommelier and beverage director at Café Atlantico and minibar by José Andrés in Washington, D.C, and later beverage director at ThinkFoodGroup in Washington, D.C, shifted the emphasis fully onto beverage as a primary language of the room rather than a supporting detail. From 2010, wine director at VOLT Restaurant in Frederick, Maryland, marked a deeper specialization in list oversight and cellar stewardship. Wine director at Alinea in Chicago, IL, extended that authority into a new market and a different dining context. By 2016, champagne specialist at Moët Hennessy portfolio signaled narrower category focus within one of wine’s most technically specific and service-driven segments. Today, Jill is host of SOMM TV's Reading & Drinking Podcast and host of SOMM TV's Study Hall, carrying that expertise into media and education.

The Work Today

Her profile reads as senior wine and beverage leadership across restaurant and hospitality groups. In each setting, Zimorski’s work sits at the point where a list becomes a tool, not an object, and where leadership means translating wine for guests while keeping the service team aligned.

Career - host — SOMM TV's Reading & Drinking Podcast - host — SOMM TV's Study Hall - management position — boutique hotel with a fancy restaurant, Charlottesville, Virginia - server — small French restaurant, Charlottesville, VA - general manager — Palette at the Madison Hotel, Washington, D.C. - restaurant manager — Charlie Palmer Steak, Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. - sommelier and beverage director — Café Atlantico and minibar by José Andrés, Washington, D.C. - beverage director — ThinkFoodGroup, Washington, D.C. - wine director — VOLT Restaurant, Frederick, Maryland (from 2010) - wine director — Alinea, Chicago, IL Education: University of Virginia

Acclaim

Jill's honors include Master Sommelier and WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines & Spirits (2019). Those credentials point to the study behind the work: formal evaluation, technical depth, and the consistency required to hold a high-level wine career over time. In Zimorski’s case, recognition tracks with the same geographic and professional movement that defines the rest of the record—Charlottesville to Washington, D.C., Frederick to Chicago, and then into wine education and media.

FAQ What is Jill Zimorski's current role? As of 2026, Jill Zimorski is Host of SOMM TV's Reading & Drinking Podcast. Where did Jill Zimorski train or study? Jill Zimorski trained at