PJ Alexander
After travelling across Europe in my mid-twenties as a Qi Gong teacher & promoter, I had the opportunity to visit many vineyards. I was intrigued by the alchemy and tradition of transforming grapes into wine – the passion of the growers & winemakers captivated me. Soon after, I took the role of assistant to the wine cellars at Christ Church in Oxford.
From that point, my journey into wine and service became intense. Being around the tradition of the Butler and Oxford culture led me to a deep education in the study of Sommelerie. After a few years, I joined Wadham College as a Cellarman and went deeper still. At this time I had the opportunity to explore wine regions of Europe and meet fantastic producers at seminars, visits and tasting events across the UK and further afield.
After some time, I felt that iIl needed to go further into Sommelerie and from there joined an exclusive, intense and intimate Sommelier course in Bordeaux. I got the chance to join a winery team during the harvest and fermentation stages, to learn from amazing, unique teachers, traditional Sommelier and wine personalities as well as further exposure to the great wineries of France.
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From there, Aspen called…I spent a season as the Sommelier at the St Regis there. Soon after joining the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail and being part of the Taste of Vail organization team. The Colorado Rockies are home to a great amount of gastronomic talent and a fantastic place to learn and experience wine culture.
I then spent time at the Ocean House in Rhode Island as the Sommelier and wine educator, where I worked with Chef Jacob Jasinski and his team. A spell at the Philadelphia Country Club followed before joining Chef Jasinski again in Naples Florida to open a restaurant.
La Nouvelle Maison is a special restaurant in Boca Raton, owned and operated by talented, industry veterans. I spent a few years there transforming the wine program and learning from the people around me. We were recognized in the top 100 restaurants on Open Table several years in a row. A mark of great team work.
I have spent time as a consultant, educator and wine broker for private clients. This has taken me to Florida and Texas.
In June 2021, I took the role of Sommelier at the Somerset Club in Boston. It has brought new challenges as I work to build an even stronger wine culture here.
I still learn from everything I can and love to research and keep busy. I’m currently finishing my WSET Diploma.