Other
Victoria James
Sommelier
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Formation
Wine and hospitality careers are built through floor work, list fluency, service timing, and institutional memory. Victoria James completed her training at the University of Uyo in 2015, a formal marker in a career that developed inside New York dining rooms and beverage programs. Sommelier work at Aureole NYC from 2011 to 2013 gave the trade its first New York frame in this record: cellar discipline, table-side communication, and the practical reading of guests in a high-volume dining context. At Ristorante Morini from 2013 to 2014, Victoria James continued that work through an Italian restaurant lens, where pairing decisions have to account for structure, richness, acidity, and pacing across the meal. Beverage direction at Cote Korean Steakhouse, where Victoria James became partner and Beverage Director in 2017, moved the work from service execution into program building. The role centers on list construction, staff education, and guest access to wine in a restaurant format where the beverage program has to operate alongside a specific steakhouse and Korean dining model. In 2019, the co-founding of WINE EMPOWERED extended that work into mentorship and professional access for aspiring sommeliers. Multi-site and group-level beverage leadership requires consistency without flattening the room. Since 2020, Victoria James has served as Beverage Director and partner at Cote Miami, while also holding the roles of Executive Director of beverage and Founding Partner of Gracious Hospitality Management, and Executive Director of beverage and partner of Coqodaq. “The tsunami of emails used to give me such anxiety but one of the great gifts of becoming a mum is like, everything is chill now in comparison. Hundreds of emails? No big deal. Just take it one at a time.” Victoria has said.
The Work Today
The current beverage work at Cote Korean Steakhouse is measured through service, education, and list stewardship rather than spectacle. As partner and Beverage Director, Victoria James works with wine as a hospitality tool: selection, context, staff fluency, and the guest’s ability to understand what is in the glass. Through WINE EMPOWERED, the same trade emphasis moves into mentoring aspiring sommeliers and widening access to the profession.
Peer Recognition
Recognition in beverage tends to track both program quality and professional influence. Victoria James was a finalist for the James Beard Foundation Awards for Outstanding Wine Program in 2023, received the Florida Sommelier Award in 2022, was named Sommelier of the Year in 2018, appeared on the 30 Under 30 list in 2018, appeared on the 40 Under 40 list in 2017, and was named Best New Sommelier in 2016. Taken together, the record marks a sommelier and Beverage Director whose work has been evaluated by peers across service, education, and restaurant beverage leadership.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Victoria
Who is Victoria James?
Victoria James is Executive Director of beverage and partner of Gracious Hospitality Management.
Where did Victoria James train or study?
Victoria James trained at University of Uyo.
What recognition has Victoria James received?
James Beard Foundation Awards finalist for Outstanding Wine Program (2023).
