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Vintner Vixen Savanna Samson Cozies Up to Dufresne and Boulud

We'll have what she's having.
We’ll have what she’s having.haha Photo: Melissa Hom


Union Square Wines & Spirits has always hooked its customers up (you may remember their giving away a Schwinn bike at one tasting), but next Wednesday, when they bring Savanna Samson in to sign bottles of her Sogno Uno, they’ll truly be bending over backward. You may have seen the wine, which the porn star created with the help of Roberto Cipresso from a blend of Cesanese, Sangiovese, and Montepulciano grapes, in some of Samson’s films, but you can also find it at wd-50 and Daniel. After all, the stuff garnered an impressive 91 rating from grape guru Robert Parker. We asked Savanna, whose real name is Natalie Oliveros, about moonlighting as a winemaker.

What did you drink when you were a dancer at Scores?
It would always be Cristal or Dom Pérignon.

So have you thought about making a Champagne?
I was in Italy with my winemaker trying Franciacorta – it’s a sparkling wine made in the same way of Champagne, but the terroir is different. It could be great.

Why did you start with wine?
Wine goes with all of life’s occasions — I have it with everything I do. Whether I’m having sex or working, it seems wine is accompanying me.

So wine goes with sex? Do you drink it on the job?
Yes, I usually do. When I first started learning about it, I couldn’t believe how sensual it was — the way they describe it with terms like muscle and legs and finesse. It’s perfect for sex.

When you have a tasting, how many people are fans of your movie and how many people are wine lovers?
Most people come to see me, but mostly to taste my juice.

Does the wine actually resemble you?
In the Uno, there’s a spiciness that represents the naughty, exhibitionist side. Yet it’s an elegant wine, representing my love for the arts, opera, ballet. There’s hints of a chocolate undertone — I love chocolate.

Have you gotten to meet notable chefs while selling the wine? Any of them tell you they’re fans?
It’s being carried by Daniel Boulud, Wylie Dufresne … I just presented it to davidburke & donatella. Yes, they were fans of mine ahead of time.

Your parents weren’t very happy about your porn career — what about your second coming as a winemaker?
The other day my mom asked if I could send her a bottle so she could bring to her lady friends in Connecticut. They were so excited — they drank the wine at Abbots Lobster in the Rough. It was a perfect setting, since you can really sense the sea in the wine.

Of the other celebrities who have their own wines, who would you like to film a scene with? Madonna. Any woman would have to admit that if they were ever to be a lesbian, it would have to be with Madonna.

You also sell things like love balls, bondage slave kits, and joy grips — what’s more profitable, those or the wine?
The toys are fun to have, but it’s not a big moneymaker for me. But right now the wine is my future — making wine in the style I want until I realize the dream of where I want my vineyard to be.

During tastings, do you spit or swallow?
I swallow.

Vintner Vixen Savanna Samson Cozies Up to Dufresne and Boulud