Saman Parsa, Sam for short, left her native country of Iran to study Plant Biology at the University of California, Davis. From there, she began research at Stanford University before ultimately trading laboratory work for the hands-on experience of winemaking.

Sam spent several years making Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at various wineries in the Russian River. She first met and worked with the winemaking team at Sonoma Cutrer in 2015 as a seasonal Lab technician.  She loved it so much, she came back the following harvest as the Chardonnay harvest enologist. Sam then gained experience at E&J Gallo working with larger, corporately structured facilities as an Associate Winemaker focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Sonoma-Cutrer team was thrilled to welcome Sam back in 2023 as Associate Winemaker with her primary responsibilities for our Pinot Noir production and sustainability initiatives.  

Sam lives in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband, who is a winemaker as well, and their son.