Tonya Pitts

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. Pitts 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, Pitts has been instrumental in the annual Wine Spectator list for more than a decade, including receiving awards for her expansive and inclusive wine program.

Pitts 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.