Samantha is the Fine Wine Ambassador and Private Client Services Manager for Select Wines and sister agency Icon Vins Fins. For the past 4 years in this role, Samantha has been dubbed ‘The Wine Fairy’, brining wine joy to the people. Most of the last 2 and a half years have mostly been spent dropping wine on doorsteps, and doing the dreaded ‘virtual tastings’ so she is thrilled to be back sharing her passion in front of live audiences again at Whistler Cornucopia.

Samantha’s background prior to joining Select Wines was in restaurants, most recently serving at Wine Director at Whistler’s Araxi Restaurant from 2007-2018. Samantha was awarded BC Sommelier of the Year from the Vancouver International Wine Festival and Vancouver Magazine in 2013, one of only two women (so far!) and the first and only time the award has gone to someone outside of metro Vancouver. She is a proud Ambassador of Whistler Cornucopia, an in-demand seminar presenter, and has served as judge for several wine competitions.

Samantha spends her leisure time as a passionate vegetable gardener at her home in Pemberton, and where she resides with her taller half, and their two tabbies, Francis and Fleurie. She is a dedicated downhill mountain biker in the Whistler Bike Park, and retired competitive snowboarder.

Samantha was awarded BC Sommelier of the Year from Vancouver International Wine Festival and Vancouver Magazine in 2013, one of only two women to achieve this honour (so far!) and the first only time the award has gone to someone outside of metro Vancouver. She is in demand as a seminar presenter (come to my seminars!), writes wine features for Whistler Magazine, and is a loyal Ambassador for Whistler Cornucopia. She has served as a judge for several wine competitions, and as the consulting Sommelier for Whistler Blackcomb’s full service on-mountain restaurants.

Her clients refer to her affectionately as ’The Wine Fairy’, having spent the better part of the last couple of years dropping boxes of wine (joy) on people’s doorsteps. She spends her leisure time, when not driving around with a car full of fine wine for you, as a passionate vegetable garden at her home in Pemberton, with her taller half (he still works in the fine dining trenches in Whistler) and their two tabbies, Francis and Fleurie. Samantha is a dedicated downhill mountain biker in the Whistler Bike Park (hopefully the bruises will be all healed before Cornucopia!) and is a former competitive, now recreational, snowboarder.