Alessandra Rotondi was born in Rome, but her ancestors came from a small town called San Gusmé, a jewel in the “Gallo Nero” area of Chianti Classico in Tuscany.
When still a student of Political Sciences, she was hired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador to serve as Liason Officer in the Embassy of Ecuador to the Republic of Italy and UN Agencies in Rome. Even after graduating in Political Sciences she kept on serving the Ecuadorian Government for several years, with honor and efficiency, establishing a deep friendship with people and authorities, maintained still now.
At the end of 2005, Alessandra felt the need to honor her ancestors’ legacy by going back to her roots. She started writing reviews and articles on wine and food for Italian magazines. She attended the most important wine events all over the world, as well as in Italy.
After intense study and much hands-on experience, Alessandra received the Professional Degree of Sommelier by the Italian Sommeliers Association in Rome.
In 2006, Alessandra quit the Diplomatic service to fully embrace her new career in the wine world. Today she lives in New York.
With a profound knowledge and experience in the wine industry, Alessandra has served as Wine Consultant and Sommelier to many restaurants in Manhattan.
As Sommelier for Barbetta Restaurant, the oldest Piemontese restaurant in the city, she managed a Wine List consisting of over 1,600 labels, with over 10,000 bottles stored in the cellar.
In the Spring of 2008, Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato of the Serafina Restaurant Group hired Alessandra as their Executive Wine Consultant for the new French Brasserie Cognac, which opened in April. In this capacity, she created its brand new French Wine List and managed the buying and the inventory of the wines. http://www.cognacrestaurant.com/about/wine.html
She also updated the Wine Lists of Geisha Restaurant.
Alessandra is also a guest Wine Speaker and Sommelier for special events, such as “Save Venice” and the Italian “Accademia della Cucina” monthly dinners.
Recently she has been asked to represent the Italian Sommeliers Association in New York and to launch this fall season a wine school and seminars on its behalf.
Also in April of 2008, Alessandra Rotondi was hired by Ivana Trump and Rossano Rubicondi to be the Wine Consultant for their Wedding at Mar a Lago, Palm Beach. During the two day event (pre-wedding dinner and the wedding celebration), the 600 guests enjoyed the three different wines (Champagne; Italian Pinot Grigio; Supertuscan) selected and provided by Alessandra.
The TV Network Alice Sky (the Italian “Food Network”), has filmed Alessandra during her manifold activities in New York, as Writer, Sommelier and Wine Consultant. The program was broadcast in Italy in 2007.
The very famous Italian lady Marta Marzotto, (journalist, designer and VIP) interviewed Alessandra recently about her successful career in New York as Sommelier, Wine Consultant and ‘Wine Seduction Expert’. The interview can be read on DIVA&DONNA magazine, edited by Silvana Giacobini, (450.000 copies every week) nr. 33/2008.
Alessandra is also a Writer for the most specialized and popular Italian magazines that focus on wine and food, and for lifestyle magazines.
She has been just being nominated for the "Best Wine Writer 2010".
This is a partial list of the magazines she has written for:
BARGIORNALE: 149,000 copies monthly. The magazine is owned by the Italian newspaper IL SOLE 24 ORE, the Financial Italian Daily with a daily circulation of 400,000.
DeVINIS, the official Magazine of the Italian Sommeliers Association, with 700,000 members throughout Italy and the World. The fall issue will feature a big review on Alessandra’s work as Sommelier in New York.
LA STAMPA DAILY, the third highest circulation daily in Italy; Alessandra answers readers’ questions on wine.
CUCINA & VINI, available also in the US market.
BUONGUSTANDO
DONNA SOMMELIER
EUROCARNI.
PREMIATA SALUMERIA ITALIANA
BARRIO
F & B by the Food Group a trade magazine in English launched in New York on July 2008, for American readers. The Food Group is an Italian company which publishes over nine monthly magazines all around the world with a b-to-b approach.
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