Bio
To Amanda Fraga, every glass of wine is like traveling and visiting a new place. She first discovered her love for hospitality working at a local bar while attending Florida International University, and her love for wine traveling in between semesters
After graduating in 2011 with her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and a minor in Beverage Management, Fraga earned a position as a wine steward at The Setai, Miami Beach. There, she was introduced to the high standards of fine dining and wine, and gained the knowledge and experience to become an assistant sommelier at Miami’s Lippi restaurant (now closed).
Always looking for opportunities to continue her education, Amanda traveled to Burgundy, France in 2014, and worked for five weeks with Nicolas Potel at Domaine de Bellene. Her journey exposed her to wine making from the ground up, starting with picking and sorting grapes, and finishing with pigeage and remontage. These firsthand experiences further solidified her appreciation of wine and helped her gain valuable insight on various winemaking techniques.
After returning from France, Fraga joined the esteemed team at The Genuine Hospitality Group (TGHG). She began as a sommelier at Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink before transitioning to Sommelier at Amara at Paraiso. Fraga is now Beverage Director for The Genuine Hospitality Group, since 2020. Her innovative approach to training is predicated on a consistent curriculum and engaging the staff through "Wine Wednesday" trainings on various topics beyond pairings and taste profiles, including the importance of back story, sense of place - not just terrior, and personal context in wine making.