Rachael Lowe
Rachael Lowe has crafted wine programs at some of the most distinguished dining establishments throughout the United States. She holds an advanced Sommelier degree from the Court of Master Sommeliers, where she was rewarded the Rudd Scholarship for top scores on the Advanced Exam. In addition to such merit, she won the top prize at the Ruinart Chardonnay competition hosted by Ruinart and the Guild of Sommeliers in 2010, the 2010 Jean Banchet award for Top Sommelier for Chicago, and was also awarded the Rising Star Sommelier title through Star Chefs, and most recently Food and Wine Magazines Sommelier of the year in 2016.
Lowe served as Sommelier at the Michelin-rated Bouchon, a French bistro in Yountville, CA, under the direction of The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. Prior to her time there, she spent more than three years as Sommelier for several fine-dining venues throughout New York City, including Café Gray, the Mandarin Oriental and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay inside The London NYC hotel. Upon moving to Chicago Lowe served as Director of Wine and Spirits at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, where she oversaw all wine management, which included Sixteen, the hotel’s signature fine-dining restaurant, Rebar, a chic sushi and cocktail lounge, the Terrace at Trump, and all catering and in-room dining requests. She then took over as Wine Director at both Naha, a Michelin starred Mediterranean restaurant, as well as the companies French based sister restaurant, Brindille. Three years ago Lowe took the position as Director of Beverage for Spiaggia, where she oversees the restaurant, Café and private dining events.
Touting an extensive educational background, Ms. Lowe received a B.A. in visual and critical studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and continued her education at New York University, where she earned a M.A. in food studies. She was awarded an advanced certificate from the International Wine Center WSET in New York and completed a 20-week viniculture course through the American Sommelier Association; she will be sitting for her Master Sommelier exam this year.
