Randy Caparoso - You Denver Insider

Randy Caparoso is a Denver based restaurant wine consultant and wine journalist who has devoted himself to a career managing, judging, speaking, producing and writing about wine since 1978.

As a restaurant professional, Caparoso is best known as a Founding Partner of the Roy’s restaurant group, opening over twenty-five of these restaurants from Hawai’i to New York between 1988 and 2001. As Roy’s former Corporate Wine Director, he was Santé magazine’s first “Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year” (1998), and was twice named Restaurant Wine’s “Wine Marketer of the Year (1993 & 1999).

After leaving Roy’s, Randy Caparoso produced three vintages of his own wines as sole proprietor of Caparoso Wines LLC, an alternative label specializing in internationally sourced wines crafted specifically for contemporary cuisines and restaurant glass programs; and served in the hottest restaurants in twelve states, from Hawai’i to New York. In recent years Caparoso has consulted for restaurants and wine bars in Colorado, Florida and Tennessee; while also serving as Chef Sommelier of the Five Star/Five Diamond Sea Island resort in Georgia.

Caparoso has repeatedly served as a professional wine judge (L.A. County Fair, New World Wine Competition, Sonoma Harvest Fair, Oregon State Fair, among others), a speaker/panel leader (Santé Restaurant Symposium, Society of Wine Educators, Hospice du Rhône, Aspen Wine & Food Festival, Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, Sommelier Summit, and others), as well as national wine list judge (Santé Grand Awards).

Since 1981 Caparoso has bylined biweekly newspaper wine columns (The Honolulu Advertiser), and continues to contribute as an editor for numerous industry magazines (such as Santé, Sommelier Journal, Practical Winery & Vineyard, and Restaurant Hospitality). In 1997 Caparoso was commended by the Academy of Wine Communications for Excellence in Wine Writing and Encouragement of Higher Industry Standards. Many of his thoughts on food and wine can be gleaned on his home page, Culinary Wine & Food Adventures (randycaparoso.blogspot.com), as well as on Robin Garr’s Wine Lover’s Page (wineloverspage.com/randysworld).