Director Of Hospitality
Scott grew up in Napa Valley and visited his first winery at age six, where he attempted to fish at Jake Lake – the prized Chinese Koi pond at the Chateau Montelena winery. His first real experience tasting wine didn’t happen until he visited an Olive Garden in Los Angeles. The server allowed a handful of complimentary tastes, and he kept a wine guide in his wallet and checked off each new wine he tasted.
It wasn’t until he met Richard Betts in Aspen, CO that he ever imagined working in the wine industry. Richard is a Master Sommelier, and former Wine Director at The Little Nell, a luxury 5-star hotel in Aspen. Scott says that, to this day, it is still home to the best food and wine pairing he has have ever experienced. He had pan-roasted quail paired with a 2000 Clos du Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape. He was amazed by the sensory experience, and can still recall the aromas of that perfectly paired dish. He says that it was fascinating to hear about Richard’s life; he made his own wine, is a New York Times bestselling author, and travels the world teaching folks about the world of wine. Scott believes that it is a rare opportunity to be able to work with a subject matter that you also happen to love. He knew from that point that wine was the industry for him.
In his younger wine drinking days, he was drawn to the biggest and boldest of wines. It wasn’t until he tried an Anderson Valley Pinot Noir paired with the Ahi Tuna salad at Rutherford Grill that he realized he could branch out of the bold and still find some amazing wines. He found that there was something seductive about the aromatics of Pinot Noir that made him want to sit and sniff it all day. He never thought he would find just as much pleasure smelling a wine as tasting it!
After falling further in love with Pinot Noir, he was given the unique opportunity of assisting with the launch of the Pinot Noir brand WALT Wines in Sonoma. Not only was he excited to work with Pinot Noir every day, but also experience Sonoma County for the first time. It was also around this time that he tried his first Williams Selyem Pinot Noir, and was convinced that it was the best he had ever tasted – perfectly balanced, beautiful aromatics, layers of complex flavors – everything he wanted in a Pinot Noir and more.
Scott joined Williams Selyem in 2014 and is proud to be a part of the team that produces what he considers to be the pinnacle of Pinot Noir in the United States.
Sales, Marketing & Hospitality 
Sales, Marketing & Hospitality Jessica Koehnen