Roger Kugler

Roger Kugler, Sommelier and General Manager of the hot-spot restaurant, Suba, got his first serious wine learning experience as a waiter at Manhattan’s venerable Union Square Café. Since then, Roger has worked in several top New York City restaurants, gaining the same appreciation for and knowledge of wine that once motivated his great-grandfather to make his own. One of the great joys of wine is that with constant technological advances, the world of wine is ever changing and never reaches a finite destination. Spirits are in a similar position and Roger finds the challenge of new products and range of possibilities fascinating.

Roger’s enthusiasm, experience and self-taught knowledge, combined with certification as a sommelier, have helped him rebuild many wine lists from the ground up. His expertise has been sought out by many, including three appearances on the tasting panel of The New York Times (white Riojas, Bierzo reds and Navarra reds) for the Dining section and most recently for the discussion panel at the launch of the Peñín Guide to Spanish wine with Mr. Peñín and Jay Miller of the Wine Advocate.

At Suba, he brings energy and excitement to the dining room through his recognition of a wine list’s many possibilities. He embraces the opportunity to share his knowledge with the restaurant’s guests, furthering their – and ultimately his – exploration of both wine and spirits. Recently, his cocktail creations have been getting like notice with mentions in a range of publications including the New York Times, Food & Wine, New York Daily News and Bloomberg to name a few.

Roger is also responsible for the wine list at Boqueria (also from the Suba owners) and will perform the same duties at the new Boqueria in Soho due in the fall of 2008.