A Tribute to Sommelier Ruben Morancy 1967-2021

Ruben Morancy, a sommelier who worked in various roles in San Francisco and Los Angeles and was adored by colleagues and customers alike died at home of natural causes on September 29, 2021.

Morancy was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 1967, and immigrated with his family to Philadelphia at the age of 14. After living and working there and in New York City, he moved west in 1992 to continue his career pursuits in the wine and food world. After graduating from Culinary Arts program at City College of San Francisco, he worked at restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles before becoming a wine broker.

Ruben Morancy photo credit Alta Restaurant Group

He became certified as a Level 2 Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2015 and served as Wine Director at San Francisco’s Michelin two-star restaurant Coi. He was most recently employed as the Wine Director for Alta Restaurant group, running the wine program at Alta Adams in Los Angeles and launching their beloved pandemic pivot Adams Wine Shop in the summer of 2020. There Morancy worked the floor and oversaw a unique inventory of affordable wines with a focus on Black and female winemakers. He curated a list of these wines for Forbes in February 2021. By all accounts, he adored interacting with his West Adams customers and community. “In a wine shop, you really get to know people,” said Morancy in a recent article on Zagat.com.

Fluent in French, and nicknamed ‘The Haitian Sensation,’ Morancy had a more private passion for painting. A self-taught artist, he described his influences on artavita.com. “My own work is inspired and heavily influenced by the colorful, eye-catching style of [Haitian] artists I watched in my childhood, but my themes are drawn from my own life experience and observations, primarily in large American cities: Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and—most of all—San Francisco… A sense of urgency drives my work—a passionate need to convey my view of the world and the color of my experience. When I am painting, I feel peaceful, serene, exhilarated, because I know I am doing the work that I am meant to do.”

Ruben Morancy photo credit @MidCityBigLife

Many of his friends and colleagues from the wine industry shared their remembrances at an event in San Francisco. Mark Mendoza, a San Francisco online wine seller who met Ruben when he worked at K&L Wine Merchants shared, “There are not many people you can trust with your wine cellar, just hand over the reins.” Mendoza, who recommended Morancy to take over as wine director at Coi added, “Whatever it took to do, he just did it. And no one could wear a hat like him.”

Chris Miller a wine seller in San Francisco for Winebow concurred, adding that Ruben “Had a unique and astute fashion sense. He brought the bow tie and liked rocking the pocket square.” But he also possessed a uniquely astute wine sense. “He was savvy,” able to sell difficult wines, “with an engaging wit and that distinct laugh.”

San Francisco-based sommelier Rob Renteria recalled, “With Ruben, wine was a vehicle to explore other things—art, film, music…Ruben was a hustler. He always had irons in the fire. He had a great palate. As a salesperson, he could find gems in a shitty portfolio. He ALWAYS had a smile., and always manifested positive energy.”

Of his time in San Francisco, George Sparks, a wine importer at GrapeCycle said, “He became part of the SF inner circle of wine buyers back then, 25 years ago. He always had positive energy. We recently re-engaged again trying to put together various events promoting people of color in the wine world. And he wanted me to help him build a wine brand.” Indeed at the time of his death, Ruben was hard at work launching the first vintage release of his Native Lands label, a South African Cabernet Sauvignon made by Spier Farms, an ethically run winery in Stellenbosch represented by Sparks.

San Francisco sommelier and wine consultant Tonya Pitts shared her first meeting with Morancy. “Many years ago, Ruben came into one of my restaurants as a patron. Over the course of the evening, I discovered Ruben lived in Wine Country and he was also a sommelier. Needless to say, we became fast friends. There were many conversations over the years about not enough representation of BIPOC people in the industry. This spurred Ruben to create Les Sommeliers, a collective made up of wine industry leaders which we co-founded. The first event for Les Sommeliers in Northern California featured BIPOC and women in wine…Ruben continued in Southern California as well. Ruben was an artist, creator, and supportive friend to many and a champion to his people.” She added, “Ruben always says the glass is half full. There was always an upside. He didn’t let the curve balls throw him. He was always positive and the biggest cheerleader for his friends. He was honest, kind, sincere, a true gentleman and friend.”