About Anani Lawson

I am a World Class Remote Sommelier and Wine Sales Expert offering private mobile wine events and helping wineries drive sales on autopilot.

In the last 17+ years as a Sommelier and Global Wine Ambassador, I have cultivated luxurious wine experiences for:

🍷Wineries & wine enthusiasts
🍷Country clubs looking to train their staff on various wine topics
🍷Companies looking for out-of-the-box experiences for their employees
🍷Wealth managers seeking exclusive wine experiences for their clientele

Before landing in Napa, I came to San Francisco in 1982 from Togo with plans to pursue a career in professional tennis. But everything changed when I fell in love with Northern Californian wines.

So I worked my way up from server to sommelier at Thomas Keller’s Grand Award-winning French Laundry in Yountville for seven years before transferring to another award-winning restaurant, Per Se in New York.

As the only African American Sommelier to have worked at two 3-star Michelin restaurants, and with over a decade of experience in the wine and spirits industry, I have the authority to impact wine experiences at the highest levels for any organization.

I have a demonstrated history of driving wine sales in restaurants and hotels, as well as enhancing sales opportunities at a large scale with content creation and video marketing.

I’ve created wine programs for several event companies both in person as well as remote, including Prospect Events, Chandelier Events, Fȇte New York, and Benchmark Destinations.

I understand what it takes to create a unique, high-end wine tasting experience and to drive wine sales for restaurants and wineries around the world.

Whether you’re looking to curate a VIP event for your employees or clients, or grow your revenue from wine sales, contact me today to get started.

Credentials & Vineyards of Expertise

Volunteer Work

  • Raised over $25,000 from a donation package that included a range of wines and curated wine tours that took place in Napa Valley and at the Plaza Hotel in NYC.

  • Created a wine tasting experience in San Francisco and collaborated with 6 wineries to donate wine for the event. As a result, we raised enough funds to purchase an essential ultrasound machine for a hospital in Kenya.

  • Raised $10,000 by donating a 12-person wine tasting. The proceeds went to Central African Country of Rwanda to purchase school supplies for students.

  • Donated wine-related events and experiences to raise proceeds for a charity of choice.