Sam has been farming vineyards since 2006, first driving tractors then managing vineyards in the Grand Valley AVA on Colorado’s western slope. In 2008 he spent a growing season in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand running tractors and crews. In March 2011 he made the move to Oregon, attracted to a thriving industry, cooler temperatures and a welcoming grape growing community. He spent several years with Advanced Vineyard Systems, a vineyard management company based in McMinnville followed by several years with Results Partners, Oregon’s largest vineyard management company. In February 2017 he joined the Atlas team in its McMinnville office, bringing with him his development and operational experience, running crew and tractor operations with quality and efficiency in mind. He learned the lessons of hard work on his 140 acre family farm in southwest Pennsylvania, and his love of wine working in fine dining restaurants in Washington DC while attending the George Washington University.