Victoria James, WINE GIRL

Victoria James is the author of Wine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier, her coming-of-age story in the wine world. Victoria has worked in restaurants since she was thirteen and was certified as a sommelier when she was twenty-one. She was Food & Wine's Sommelier of the Year in 2018 and has appeared on both Forbes and Zagat's "30 Under 30" lists. She's worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in New York City and is currently a partner and beverage director at Cote, a Michelin-starred hotspot, and cofounder of Wine Empowered, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that aims to diversify the hospitality industry by offering tuition-free wine classes to women and minorities. I loved talking to Victoria about how hospitality has represented so much to her - irreplaceable community and culture, but also sexism and disciminartion - and how she can use her story to help other people navigate the restaurant industry. 

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