Cliff Rames

Cliff is Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier in New York City. He has served as sommelier at Beaubourg/Le District, and the Caudalie French Paradox Wine Lounge at the historic Plaza Hotel. Cliff is also a Wine Educator and regularly teaches at the NYC Wine Class wine school. Cliff is Founder of and Brand Ambassador for Wines of Croatia, and has also conducted masterclasses on behalf of the Association of Winemakers of Croatia grand tasting events in NYC (2011, 2013, 2015). A freelance writer, Cliff serves as Contributing Editor for The SOMM Journal and is a regular contributor to the Wines of Croatia blog, which was a 2013 Wine Blog Awards Finalist for “Best Wine Reviews”. Cliff also wrote content about Croatian wines for the Lonely Planet - Croatia (7th & 8th Editions) travel guides. Cliff’s other formal wine training includes the French Culinary Institute’s Fundamentals of Wine program, the WSET Advanced Certificate, and the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine program. Cliff has served as a judge during the 2012, 2013 and 2014 StarChefs Somm Slam competition, as well as the 2012, 2013, and 2015 New York International Wine Competition. In his free time, Cliff enjoys cooking, reading poetry and fiction, playing guitar, disc golf, hiking, watching classic movies, and enjoying quality time with his dog, Smokie.