Tonya Pitts
Sommelier, Wine & Food Consultant, Speaker, Writer
An industry changemaker and compassionate role model, Tonya Pitts is known globally as a multi-talented wine professional who catapults wineries, winemakers and brands into the mainstream. In 2022, she was named the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards Sommelier of the Year. Equally important, she is a leader who champions diversity and inclusion in the hospitality, food and beverage industries. Tonya has been a judge for the San Francisco International Wine Competition for five years in a row, a speaker at Culinary Institute of America Summit for Beverage Professionals, a tasting panelist for Wine & Spirits Magazine and an advisor for the Fine Minds4Fine Wines think tank in Europe. In 2017, she was named to the Top 40 African American Tastemakers (Under/Over) 40 list. Of special note, Tonya has been instrumental in the annual Wine Spectator list for more than a decade, including receiving awards for her expansive and inclusive wine program.
Tonya has been featured in numerous news and industry publications, including CBS This Morning , ABC 7 News “Sips with Spencer,” Cherry Bombe, Daily Beast, Grape Collective, Janis Robinson, Wine & Spirits Magazine, Somm Journal, Tasting Panel, Where Traveler, Wine Searcher, Wine Stream and Wonder Women of Wine.
Signature Style
When presenting wines, Tonya’s distinctive approach can best be described as a performance art. A “people person” at heart, she is a welcoming hostess who easily makes connections with individuals. Knowing that wine evokes a deep sensory and emotional response, Tonya strives to make tastings universally accessible while customizing the experience to guests. She brings each vintage to life by unveiling the story behind it—the origins of the grapes in the vineyard, the personalization by the winemakers, the uncorking process to let it breathe tableside, the sensory explosion that unfolds with the first sip.
Philanthropic Mindset
Tonya’s charitable work has a widespread effect across the industry. While at One Market Restaurant, she curated an impressive wine list with a bold style and flavor profile, which included increasing the offerings to feature wines made by women, Black and Latino winemakers and producers. When the restaurant expanded to include retail and art gallery space, Tonya established Women in Wine, a group by and for women to improve representation in the industry. That led to the launch of Tonya’s Summer Wine School featuring varietals made by women. Her outreach continued with the annual LightHouse for the Blind event—a blind wine tasting held at One Market Restaurant every day in the month of November. Featuring wines generously donated by the wine community, all tasting proceeds go directly to the charity. In 2020, Tonya joined Wine Unify, a conscious movement located in Napa Valley, to mentor people in the Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) community, as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community who are pursuing education and careers in the wine industry.
Mentorship
A product of mentorship herself, Tonya pays tribute by mentoring young people and especially giving women and people of color a seat at the table. Some mentees are cooks and pastry chefs looking to transition to front-of-house roles as hosts, maître-d’s or wine directors. In 2016, she began a professorship with the University of San Francisco Hospitality Department, working with students on food and wine pairings. As part of Wine Unify, Tonya is a mentor, ambassador and advisory board member.