Jeffrey Birkemeier is an Advanced Sommelier, Certified Wine Educator and hospitality operator with more than 20 years of experience. Based in Salinas, California, he is the co-owner of Amapola Kitchen & Wine Merchant, a restaurant, retail wine shop and events space that brings together wine, education and community.

Before opening Amapola, Jeffrey held senior wine leadership roles with the Pebble Beach Company, including managing Stave Wine Cellar. He previously served as Beverage Director at Casanova Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea, where the wine program earned recognition as a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program. He also serves as Lead Sommelier for Pebble Beach Food & Wine.

As a USA Wine Ratings judge, Jeffrey brings experience spanning independent wine retail, hospitality and wine education. His work at Amapola adds a retailer’s perspective to evaluating wines for quality, value and packaging, supporting the competition’s focus on consumer appeal in the U.S. market.