My humble beginnings in the wine business began when I won a servers contest for selling the most Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet at the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center while attending Auburn University and studying Finance. The prize was a weekend at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival. It really opened my eyes for how much I didn’t know but wanted to know. I have been involved in all facets of the wine business from running restaurant wine programs to buying and selling wine for retail wine programs in the resort community of Steamboat Springs. In 2003 I took my experience from Wholesale and started a Distribution Business with 3 partners called Baroness Wines. We sold the business in 2014 to Empire Distributing and I then started my own Import/Brokerage Business called SAmandla Wine Imports that currently operates in 15 markets. I am currently sitting for the theory portion of the Master Sommelier Exam. I live in Denver Colorado where I am extremely active in the Restaurant scene both here and in the mountain areas. I enjoy the active lifestyle of Colorado with Skiing in the winter and Biking in the Summer.