Jake Kosseff

An award-winning Sommelier, wine writer and consultant, Jake Kosseff is the proprietor of Jake Kosseff Wine Consulting, and the founder of The Extraordinary Dining Society and The Extraordinary Wine Club. From humble beginnings in the restaurant business, Jake has become an important figure for both restaurants and wine collectors across the country.

While growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Jake was introduced to restaurant work at the tender age of 12 years old - filling in at as a busboy at a friend's father's Italian restaurant.  Since then, he has never held a job outside of the restaurant industry. In 1995, Jake graduated from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland with a BA in Philosophy, Classical Languages, History of Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science and has made excellent use of his education throughout his career in restaurants.  While managing a small restaurant called Luigi's in his home-town of Madison, Wisconsin, Jake saw how profoundly a good wine list affected his guests' enjoyment of their meal, and decided that his future was as a Sommelier.

From Madison, Jake moved to Seattle, Washington, the city he now calls home, in 1999. Following short stints as the Beverage Director at The Blowfish Asian Café and for Six Degrees Restaurants, Jake became the Wine & Spirits Director for Chef Kerry Sear's Cascadia Restaurant in 2000. While at Cascadia, Jake developed a local and national following based on excellent wine service and his critically acclaimed selections of outstanding wines After Cascadia, Jake became the Wine & Spirits Director for Campagne and Café Campagne in the Pike Place Market. During this time Campagne's wine program blossomed into one of the most comprehensive and interesting French wine programs on the west coast.

While at Campagne, Jake won the prestigious title of Chaîne des Rotisseurs "Best Young Sommelier in America" (2006). Jake has won numerous other awards including Seattle Magazine's "Best Sommelier" (2007) and a spot as the wine director in Seattle Metropolitan Magazine's "Restaurant Dream Team" (2006).  As a consultant, Jake has worked with some of the best restaurants in Seattle including Qube, Crush, The Corson Building, Yarrow Bay Grill and The Herbfarm and counts some of the world's most discerning wine collectors among his private clients.