The Sommelier

Paul Mekis, Wine Director – Advanced Sommelier

One of Paul Mekis' earliest recollections is of helping his grandfather and father, who regularly made their own wine, to siphon wine from barrels into gallon jugs. Today Mekis is a credentialed advanced sommelier – one of only 400 in the world – and the wine director at Madera, the signature restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts' newest addition to its collection of distinctive properties.

Mekis joined Madera following a ten-year tenure at the celebrated Plumed Horse (Saratoga, California), where he oversaw the wine cellar and a wine list of more than 2,000 selections. While at the Plumed Horse, Mekis earned Wine Spectator's Grand Award, the highest honor in the magazine's annual dining guide, for ten consecutive years.

Mekis began his restaurant career as a busser and worked as a server at numerous eateries in the Santa Clara Valley while attending college at San Jose State University. During his training as a wine steward, he honed his tasting and service skills under the tutelage of Master Sommelier Ronn Wiegand, the second designated master sommelier in the U.S.

Mekis' impressive resume includes some of the best-known and revered restaurants in San Francisco and the Bay Area, including The Lark Creek Inn, Cypress Club, Aqua and the Plumed Horse.

After passing various levels within The Court of Master Sommeliers, in 2005 Mekis became one of an elite group worldwide to have earned the designation of advanced sommelier. Over the course of his career, Mekis has served on numerous occasions as a wine judge, educator and representative for America at wine tastings throughout Europe and South Africa.

Along with his responsibilities at Madera, Mekis authors a monthly wine column for the Santa Cruz Sentinel's Santa Cruz Magazine.