Samantha grew up on Rudd Estate where, at age eight, she decided she would do whatever it takes to care for the land and fulfill a generational promise that she made to her father — that upon taking the reins at Rudd, she would leave the Estate to the next generation better off than when she assumed leadership. Samantha remembers the lessons instilled by her mother and father through two decades of working side-by-side on the Estate.

By December 2015, Samantha began implementing her long-term vision of championing the Estate’s organic farming practices. During that time, Samantha lost three of her four grandparents to cancer, and in 2018, Samantha lost her father, Leslie, to esophageal cancer.

“It is a reminder that while my Dad lost his battle with cancer, it is part of my responsibility to continue to help the cause so that other daughters don’t have to lose their dads to this horrible disease.”

Read More About 2022 Vintner Grant Honoree Samantha Rudd