About the Instructor

After a 25+ year career in Management Consulting and a side hustle launching and running a wine bar in Scottsdale, Arizona in the mid-2000's, Sam followed his interest in the history, science and culture of wine and changed careers to enter the wine industry. In 2016, he joined Adelsheim Vineyards in Oregon's Willamette Valley as Director of Consumer Direct Sales and later as Vice President of Trade & Consumer Education.  Since then, he has also held positions as Director of Operations and General Manager at wineries in Oregon and California's Central Coast.

 

Sam has presented well over 250 wine seminars and courses over the past eight years.  He has been a featured speaker at the Society of Educator's Annual Conference, the annual California DTC Conference, a guest lecturer at Cal Poly University in Pomona and at the Oregon Culinary Academy, as well as a Wine Judge for the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association annual wine competition in Las Vegas.

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Sam has earned the WSET Diploma, WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Distinction, and is a WSET Certified Educator.  He is also a Certified Wine Educator and Certified Specialist of Spirits through the Society of Wine Educators, and a Level 2 Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers.