Born in the United States and raised in Spain and England of Greek Cypriot and Spanish parents, Emmanuel Kemiji is a graduate of the University of California, Davis. In addition to his economics and Spanish literature degrees, he studied viticulture and oenology, expanding his interest in wine and eventually leading to the formation of Miura Vineyards in 1995. Soon to follow were Candela in 1998, Almvs in 2000, Antiqv2s in 2001, and two projects in Spain – Arrels in 2003 and Clos Pissarra in 2005. Kemiji acted as The Ritz-Carlton director of wine & spirits from 1988 to 1999, first at Laguna Niguel and then at The Dining Room in San Francisco. In 1989, Kemiji passed the Master Sommelier exam in London, England and received the “Sommelier of the Year” award by the California Restaurant Writers Association. He was also chosen “Wine Director of the Year” in the Critic’s Choice Awards. The San Francisco Chronicle named Kemiji as one of the “10 Winemakers to Watch for 2000.”