Thinking & Drinking

This blog is a chance for me to write about drinking, eating and restaurants in a completely unedited format.  I hope that some of what I say resonates, and that some of what I say provokes.  Regardless, please comment: there is too much to talk about for anyone to keep quiet.

Some of you might wonder who I am, and what qualifies me to talk about all of this.  I wish that more people would ask this question more often. 

Jake Kosseff Wine Consulting

Jake Kosseff

An Award winning Sommelier and Wine Director, Jake Kosseff uses his skills and experience to help restaurants and wine enthusiasts to get the most out of wine.  In addition to wine consulting, Jake launched The Extroardinary Wine Club in November, in partnership with aWinestore.com and Cellar46.  Jake is also a wine writer, with recent articles appearing in Seattle Homes & Lifestyles and Seattle Magazine. 

Jake became the Wine & Spirits Director for Chef Kerry Sear’s Cascadia Restaurant in 2000.  While at Cascadia Restaurant, Jake developed a local and national following based on excellent wine service and his critically acclaimed selection of outstanding wines from small producers.

In 2005 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, winning numerous awards, including the “Best of Award of Excellence” from the Wine Spectator.   Jake left his comfortable position at Campagne & Café Campagne in order to work with a wider variety of wine programs and clients and Jake Kosseff Wine Consulting was born in August, 2008.

Jake has consulted on some of the most successful wine programs in Seattle.  Wine lists that Jake has written have won in the wine list category in the Best of CitySearch awards 3 years running:  for Crush in 2005 (audience winner), for Campagne in 2006 (audience and critics winner), and for Qube in 2007 (audience winner).  In August, 2007, Jake decided to pursue consulting fulltime: current restaurant clients include Qube, Crush, Yarrow Bay Grill and The Beach Café at the Point.   Jake is also the founder of The Extraordinary Dining Society.

Jake is the 2006 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs “Best Young Sommelier in America” and has been accepted to sit for the Master Sommelier Diploma.  Jake has won numerous awards and recognitions including: Sommelier for Seattle Metropolitan’s “Restaurant Dream Team” (2006), and Seattle Magazine’s “Best Sommelier” (2007).