ALEX RING, Wine Director
Alex Ring brings over 10 years of experience as a sommelier to his role as Wine Director at Sepia and PROXI. He received his Advanced Sommelier accreditation from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2017, for which he was awarded the prestigious Rudd Scholarship. He has competed in national sommelier competitions and his writing has been featured on Guildsomm.com. In spring of 2022, he was named Chicago’s Best Sommelier by the Jean Banchet Awards.
He comes to Sepia and PROXI by way of renowned Michelin restaurants, most recently from two Michelin-starred Oriole in Chicago. Prior to that, he was a sommelier at one-starred Spiaggia in Chicago and two-starred Lazy Bear in San Francisco.
Speaking on his philosophy for wine, Alex remarks, “For me, wine is as much about people as it is about what's in the glass. It doesn't matter how much someone knows about wine — we all bring our own unique personal experiences and intuitions to the table, and I love to celebrate that! My goal as a sommelier is to offer an approachable presence, encourage people to be open to new experiences, and make sure everyone is having a great time.”
The wine lists at Sepia and PROXI feature wines from every corner of the world, and Alex looks to highlight even more diversity by offering wines made by people with less traditional winemaking backgrounds. Alex loves sharing his knowledge of wine with people of all different experience levels and backgrounds, and he looks forward to connecting guests with the people who make the wine they drink.