Victoria James is the director of beverage and a partner at Michelin-starred Cote in New York City and Miami, founder of Cote Wine Club, and a recent James Beard nominee for outstanding wine program.
James has worked in restaurants since she was thirteen, fell in love with wine and was the youngest sommelier in the country when certified at 21. She has gone on to work at some of the most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants in New York City. Her name has appeared on many notable lists: Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Food & Wine’s 2018 Sommelier of the Year, Zagat’s 30 Under 30, Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40 and Wine & Spirits’ Best New Sommeliers. The Back Label declared James New York’s youngest sommelier.
James is the author of Drink Pink: A Celebration of Rosé (HarperCollins) and the international bestseller Wine Girl (Ecco/HarperCollins). She also has a print column for Forbes magazine – Buy, Hold, Sell – and a column for The Daily Beast. She has contributed to Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Munchies and Bon Appétit, and is also is a co-founder of the non-profit Wine Empowered, which diversifies the hospitality industry by offering free wine classes to women and people of colour.
