HEY! I'M SAM
I AM A PHOENIX-BASED SOMMELIER, OFFERING VIRTUAL & IN PERSON PRIVATE WINE TASTINGS, FOUNDER OF THE SAM SOMM WINE CLUB, & CO-FOUNDER OF FAFF WINE CO. I FOUND MY WINE PASSION EARLY, LAUNCHING MY IN-HOME WINE TASTING BUSINESS, SAMANTHA SOMMELIER AT THE AGE OF 23. MY MISSION IS TO MAKE WINE FUN AND APPROACHABLE IN A TRADITIONALLY EXCLUSIVE AND COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY.
A CALIfORNIA NATIVE, I FOUND MY WAY TO WINE WHIlE STUDYING AT U OF A WHEN PARTICIPATING IN A SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARkETING INTERNSHIP IN LONDON.
AFTER GRADUATION, I MOVED TO PHOENIX, WHERE I WORKED SEVERAL JOBS. A BLOG I DID ON FOOD AND WINE FOR FUN MORPHED INTO ORGANIZING WINE TASTINGS FOR FRIENDS, THEN A REALIZATION THAT I WANTED TO STEER MY CAREER IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR...
I'M CERTIFIED. SO THOSE 2-3 GLASSES OF WINE A DAY ARE STRICTLY FOR THE JOB.
... AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I'M TELLING MYSELF
FAST FORWARD JUST A
FEW YEARS...
I DECIDED TO ATTEND A “WINE BOOT CAMP,” TAKING MY INTENSIFIED SOMMELIER TRAINING PROGRAM AT THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER OF CALIFORNIA, WHERE I RECEIVED MY LEVEL 2 CERTIFICATION THROUGH THE COURT OF MASTER SOMMELIERS. BACK IN PHOENIX, I OPTED TO WORK WITH PRIVATE CLIENTS IN THEIR HOMES, ZEROING IN ON MILLENNIALS WITH AN EASYGOING BFF APPROACH TO GUIDING GUESTS THROUGH WINE TASTINGS.
MY MISSION IS TO MAKE WINE FUN AND APPROACHABLE FOR ANY LEVEL OF WINE ENTHUSIAST!
