Over the past two decades, Marika Vida-Arnold has served as the Wine Director of the Ritz-Carlton Central Park, New York, Sommelier of the top-rated Laurent Tourondel Bistro, BLT Market and Sommelier for the Philadelphia Ritz-Carlton with ‘Top Chef’ winner Kevin Sbraga. She developed the opening wine program at 10Arts with Chef Eric Ripert and Chef Jennifer Carroll. Her Project of 10 Years, the critically acclaimed Phenomenal Femmes Program, focuses on female winemakers and winery owners from around the globe. Marika has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Haute Living, Gotham, The Somm Journal, The Tasting Panel, The Wine Enthusiast, Seven-Fifty Daily, Liquor.com, Pix Wines and Thinking Outside The Bottle. She holds titles of Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and the American Sommelier Association. She is a Certified Specialist of Wine with the Society of Wine Educators and holds the Advanced Certificate for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Marika has been a Wine Educator for the Argentine Winery Catena Zapata and she is a member of the Full Circle Sommelier Network, working with Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein.

Prior to her Sommelier career, Marika worked in Wine Auction for both Sotheby’s and Morrell & Company in NYC as a Cellar Manager. She is a presenter for Wine Australia and the Australian Women in Wine Awards. Under the auspices of her own company Vida et Fils, Marika worked with corporate clients, presenting for special events. Clients include Glaxo-Smith-Kline, NYSE, Prologis, IMG, R.R. Donnelley, Acuris among many notable others. She has been teaching wine for the International Law Firm Milbank for the last 10 years. Marika has worked as a Wine Educator and Presenter for The Yale Club in NYC. She was the Creator, Host and Sommelier for the Somm Series Dinner Program at The Hard Rock Hotel in NYC. She has served on Eric Asimov’s Tasting Panel for the New York Times and been featured on Barrons.com for romantic wine picks. Marika is a member of Les Dames D’Escoffier NY Chapter and has served as a panelist for many of their events.

Marika’s enthusiasm for wine, unique ability to convey knowledge to consumers and background in broadcasting have her presenting at the Nantucket, Newport, Charleston, Santa Fe, Boston, New Orleans and Destin Food and Wine Festivals. She has worked with many wine agencies doing wine education for Wines of Rioja, Rias Baixas, Wines of Alsace and has worked with the following importers as consulting Brand Ambassador: Vineyard Brands, Kobrand, Winebow and Jackson Family Wines. For the year of 2024 Marika was the National Fine Wine Brand Ambassador for the Importer Frederick Wildman & Sons in addition to maintaining her consulting company.