Originally from the east coast of the United States, Samantha graduated from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA with a bachelor’s degree in Art History. After a short stint in pharmaceutical advertising, Samantha realized it was her true destiny to work in the wine industry.

After completing a level one course with the American Sommelier Association, Samantha was hired by Crush Wine and Spirits in New York City. She was now working in one of New York’s premier retail shops specializing in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Riesling and boutique wines. After a year working as a wine and spirits coordinator and gaining knowledge of the wine industry, Samantha went to South Africa to work as a cellar hand during harvest. Mulderbosch Vineyard, located in Stellenbosch, is in the heart of the South African wine country. It was here that Samantha learned the new world wine making process, the thorough detail of a large scale vineyard, and the point of view of the South African wine industry compared to the US. After three months of in depth learning of the wine making process she continued on to one of the top wine producing areas of New York: Long Island.

Samantha worked in the tasting room of a large, Tuscan-style bar working in sales and customer service. It was here she gained the exposure of working for a small, boutique vineyard only producing 22,000 cases as opposed to Mulderbosch, which produced 120,000 cases.

While obtaining her MBA from the Bordeaux School of Management, she has now joined the team at Restaurant Latour as the Assistant Sommelier, working with the Sommelier and Wine Director.