Ripple owner Roger Marmet announced that seasoned manager and advanced sommelier Jose Aguirre has been hired as general manager and wine director at the Cleveland Park neighborhood destination restaurant. Aguirre’s move to Washington, D.C., adds to the city’s reputation as a home to some of the most experienced and educated wine professionals in the world.
Aguirre earned his Advanced Sommelier Certificate in 2014 and his resume includes management of world renowned restaurants and hotels, where he has cultivated a deep knowledge of the industry. A bulk of his career has been spent overseeing wine programs for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants around the United States. As wine director at the legendary Fifth Floor in San Francisco, Aguirre developed a deep program rooted in California classics that eventually expanded, reflecting a personal curiosity in South America, Spain, and the Pacific Northwest. Prior, he cut his teeth at Chicago’s South Water Kitchen and Area 31 at Kimpton’s EPIC Hotel in Miami, where he built an education and love of wine, eventually managing the property’s award-winning beverage program. In Miami he passed his Introductory Sommelier Exam, and soon after, earned the Level II Certification.
While living in San Francisco, Aguirre was offered the opportunity to serve as wine director for the five-star Resort at Pedregal in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Since joining the team there, he has overseen wine programs for five restaurants, adding to the resort’s reputation as a world-class destination. “I am thrilled Jose has made the leap from the West Coast to join us at Ripple, and to be a part of the incredible dining scene here in Washington. He is the perfect person to continue Ripple’s legacy as a destination for incredible, interesting food and wine,” says Marmet. “We are even more excited that he will sit for his Master Sommelier Exam in July 2017.”
Ripple was awarded Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wine Restaurants in 2013 and 2014, and won RAMMY Awards in 2014 for Outstanding Wine Program and Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year. Under Aguirre’s leadership, guests can look forward to interactive and knowledgeable experiences to include a dinner series, wine classes, and other exciting special events and ventures in the New Year.
