Meet the Team, Part Five

Meet

Sam Schmitt 
CS, WSET3, CWE

Director of Operations

If you've joined any of our weekly Wine Webinar Wednesday presentations, you may already be well acquainted with Sam. A native of the Midwest, Sam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Butler University, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. 

An avid traveler and wine enthusiast, Sam has explored wine regions throughout Europe and the U.S. His travels ultimately led him to establish roots here in the Willamette Valley and shift his focus exclusively to the wine industry after living in Scottsdale, Arizona, where among other things, he decided to open a wine bar. He has since become a CMS Certified Sommelier, a SWE Certified Wine Educator, and is currently pursuing the WSET Diploma.

"Running the wine bar is what really got me hooked on changing careers to get into the wine industry professionally.”

What were you doing before you got into the wine industry?          "I was a consultant to the global pharmaceutical industry specializing in Sales and Marketing strategy, Clinical Trial implementation, Leadership Development and other professional training programs for about 25 years. Some of that morphed into creating an event production, graphics, and visualization development company for large corporate events. I also founded and ran a wine bar in Scottsdale, AZ in the middle 2000's. Running the wine bar is what really got me hooked on changing careers to get into the wine industry professionally."

What was your "epiphany" wine and do you remember that moment?
"Like it was yesterday! I was having dinner with the partners of the consulting firm I worked for at the time in 1995. The managing partner was a wine guy and he ordered a bottle of 1990 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. Up until that time, my go-to wines were Bartles & James and White Zinfandel! That glass of Caymus set off all kinds of fireworks in my head. I'd never tasted anything that was so exciting and complex. Needless to say, I was hooked and never looked back. Joey Harrington was kind enough to gift me a bottle of 1990 Caymus from his cellar last year — it's now displayed in a place of honor in my cellar at home."

What is your favorite go-to wine accessory at home?
"I couldn’t have completed any of my wine certifications without a Coravin. It’s an indispensable tool for enjoying just a glass without feeling guilty about pulling the cork. High quality glassware is a very close second."

What are you enjoying drinking these days? 
"Having recently visited Spain, I’m drinking a lot of Rioja and Ribera del Duero right now. We visited quite a few bodegas while we were there, but the two standouts were Marques de Murrietta in Logroño, Rioja and Vega Sicilia in Ribera de Duero. Murrietta’s 2015 Rioja Reserva and our 2018 Lingua Franca Estate Chardonnay have gotten a lot of 'glass time' since we’ve returned."