[2019] Will Mountford

William was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He discovered his passion for wine while he was in graduate school. He found himself dedicating more energy into studying wine instead of his law studies and soon he had started working in restaurants in New York City. After a move to Las Vegas and subsequently Los Angeles, William worked as a sommelier, wine director, and beverage manager for esteemed chefs including Michael Mina, Wolfgang Puck, and Michael Voltaggio. He founded Skin Contact Consulting in 2017 to provide education and service training for restaurants and groups. William holds both a Level 4 Diploma of Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and an Advanced Certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas (CMS). He recently moved to Hong Kong and is excited to become a part of its dynamic wine scene while learning from a passionate and dedicated community of wine scholars and sommeliers.