Laura Hughes
ASSISTANT WINEMAKER
Laura’s winemaking career began at Schramsberg Vineyards of Napa Valley, CA in 2008 as a Laboratory Intern. Two years later, she gained her Bachelors of Science in Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis and was awarded the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Scholarship to work abroad in Burgundy, France in 2010. In the following years, Laura continued to work harvest internships abroad and at home, back to back: Vrede en Lust in Paarl, South Africa in 2011, Dalla Valle Vineyards in Napa Valley in 2011, and Delheim Winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2012. Through this exposure, Laura gained an appreciation for “terroir” and a passion for producing quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
This passion led Laura to Sanford Winery in 2012, where she started as the Enologist and was promoted to Assistant Winemaker in April, 2015.