Jetsetting Fashionista: 10 Rising Black Sommeliers To Know

“Diana Hawkins left her corporate job to follow her passion for wine. She has worked at some of the top Chicago restaurants after becoming a Certified Sommelier. Diana moved to New Zealand to pursue her Master’s in Wine Science and now is an Assistant Winemaker at McBride Sisters Collections.”

Amy Cavanaugh of Plate Magazine: Why I Gave Up Everything to Move to New Zealand and Study Wine

“Sommelier Diana Hawkins is no stranger to making big moves—the former engineer quit the corporate world a few years ago to follow her passion for wine, which led to completing her Level 2 Certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers and working at top Chicago restaurants including Lula Café and Alinea. She took her latest leap about six months ago, moving to New Zealand to enroll as a wine science masters student at the University of Auckland. She’s tracking her experiences living in New Zealand, studying wine, and learning to make wine in this 7 part blog for Plate”

Katherine Cole of SevenFifty Daily: Studying Wine Science in Paradise

“Eschewing popular domestic programs, an American somm heads down under. Says Hawkins, with a laugh, “If you had asked me five years ago if I’d be doing this, I’d have said, ‘No way in hell.’””

John Lenart of Chicago Magazine: Top 10 Most Buzz-worthy Sommeliers of 2016

“This is a four-headed monster of a wine team. Sian, Michael, Devin, and Diana work in concert to bring new ideas to the table based on their collective years of experience. There is no ego involved, as they are all pushing toward the same goal of putting the best beverage experience possible in front of the guests in the unique context of Alinea”

John Lenart of Chicago Magazine: Top 10 Most Buzz-worthy Sommeliers of 2015

“Why she is Buzz-worthy: According to Lula Cafe Owner Jason Hammel, “Diana is wicked smart, dryly funny, curious and yet somehow so very down to earth and approachable. Diana is as complex as the wines she loves to celebrate. Her astute and exacting mind was captivating from the start.”

Matt Kirouac of Chicago Scene: Lula Cafe is Now One of Chicago’s Best Places to Drink

“Lula Cafe has long been heralded as a must-dine destination. But with newly appointed beverage director Diana Hawkins at the helm, the restaurant is becoming just as coveted for its drinks. A Level 2-certified sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers and an alum of such places as City Winery and Dusek’s Board & Beer, Hawkins is well-equipped to breathe fresh new life into the beverage program at Lula Cafe. The results? One of the most exciting, dynamic (and for the time being, underrated) drinking destinations in Chicago.”

Carson Demmond of Food & Wine Magazine: 12 Career-Changing Wines

“She oversees a smart, rotating list of wines from producers who have unique backgrounds…So, we tapped her for her top 12 bottles—either those that influenced her own career shift or those made by winemaking talents who were drawn to the vine from another field altogether, proving that anyone can make a life out of a subject they love.”

Lisa Arnett of RedEye: Review of The Promontory

“It’d be easy to sip your way around the cocktail menu all night, but overlooking the wine list would be a shame. Wine-savvy servers, more than 20 by-the-glass options and unstuffy descriptions from sommelier Diana Hawkins…make pairing wine with your meal totally painless.”

Caitlin Griffith of Wine & Spirits Magazine: 2016 Restaurant Poll Interview

Phil Vettel of The Chicago Tribune: Review of Lula Cafe

Kate Bernot of RedEye: Rose All Day