Laura Williamson began her formidable career in the service industry at the young age of 18. She grew up in a dry county in Arkansas (her parents still reside there!) and only began to discover the virtues of wine once she moved to Paris, France at the age of 19 for her initial college years. After exploring wine through service positions at David Paul’s in Lahaina, Maui, Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, John’s Restaurant and Flagstaff House in Boulder, Colorado and Sweet Basil and Wildflower in Vail, Colorado, she was convinced that her talents with wine could lead to a more exciting and fulfilling career than her then current degrees in Economics and Financial Planning.

She was encouraged to pursue the Master Sommelier accreditation by her mentors Wayne Belding and Sally Mohr of the Boulder Wine Merchant and achieved this coveted distinction of which only 78 Americans (including just 13 women) had attained prior to her success in 2005. She is currently an active member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, the grading body for aspiring candidates. She also holds the prestigious title of Certified Wine Educator and achieved this feat in 2002 when only approximately 100 others had previously.

Following her accreditation, she began consulting for Small Vineyards Imports, the fastest growing Italian Wine importer in the US for 2006 and 2007 and the only Italian importer to focus exclusively on small-production and hand-harvested fruit with minimal environmental impact. She helped select the portfolio and expand the offerings to Portugal as well as assisted nationally educating supplier and distributor staffs on the superior virtues of small, hand-harvested, earth-friendly wine production.

Currently, she is Vice-President of Sales nationally for Rudi Wiest Selections, the top German Importer in the US for the past 30 years, and assists Rudi in managing this prestigious accumulation of Germany’s “who’s who,” a formidable list of second-to-none German producers. She artfully preaches nationally the merits of dry wine from Germany including the food-friendly aspect of this mesmerizing style and continually educates sommeliers and trade about the modern, “New Face of Germany.”

She also presently co-owns Dove Mountain Grill in Marana, AZ, home to the prestigious annual PGA Accenture Golf Tournament, but is no longer active in daily operations of the restaurant since accepting her position with Rudi Wiest Selections.

She was co-owner of VinTabla Restaurant and Wine Shop in Tucson, AZ for its three- year existence and simultaneously doubled as sommelier for her restaurant during that span. Her award-winning, hand-crafted wine list showcased over 100 wines from around the world; wines were served by a ‘taste’ or ‘glass’ pour, and customized flights tableside based on customer menu selection was standard practice and used to educate diners on merits of synergistic food and wine pairings.

She continues to lecture nationally to businesses, restaurants and private clients about the wine regions of the world, techniques involved with pairing food and wine and the art and skill surrounding wine collecting. She also speaks annually at national wine conferences and festivals and is a staunch advocate for artisan wine producers, especially for under- appreciated countries such as Germany, Greece, Portugal, Madeira and Slovenia. She passionately travels the globe in search of unknown, exotic wines from eclectic indigenous grapes just to share these rarities with others.

In her spare time, practicing Anusara Yoga and leading yoga and wine workshops takes priority in her life along with supporting local children’s charities.