Anani Lawson, Sommelier/Wine Director
Anani Lawson brings more than 20 years of experience in the fine dining and hospitality industry to his new role as Ame sommelier and wine director. At Ame, Lawson is reunited with restaurateurs Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, who first hired him as captain at their acclaimed Napa Valley restaurant, Terra, in 1995. His new responsibilities include creating Ame's 300-bottle wine list of hand-crafted wines from small producers around the world, including selections from France, Germany, Austria, Italy and the United States, as well as staff training and education. Most recently, Lawson held the position of head sommelier at the world-renowned The French Laundry, where he was responsible for maintaining and improving upon the restaurant's exacting wine service standards. He also assisted in the 2005 opening of sister-restaurant Per Se in Manhattan.
In addition to his work in restaurants, Lawson created his own wine-consulting firm, focusing on small group wine tasting tours and private wine education for individuals and corporate clients. Lawson enjoys exposing people to the wonders of wine by educating them in an informal, not overly academic manner, a style that he plans to incorporate into the wine service at Ame. A native of West Africa, Lawson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Political Science from the University of Benin, Togo, where he also attended law school. He was the recipient of a certificate in wine service from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2003.
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