From Sexy Savanna to Wine’s Wise Woman

Retired adult-entertainment star Natalie Oliveros is no stranger to controversy – or diversity: her colorful career has involved ballet, erotic dancing, pornography and now winemaking.

She talks to Wine-Searcher about her journey from a happy New York childhood to making Brunello di Montalcino, via a startlingly unorthodox route.

Tell us about your early years?

I was born in Rochester, which is in New York State. My ethnicity is quite mixed: my grandmother [father’s mother] was born in Calabria, but my mother is of German/Irish descent. My father’s dad was killed on the USS Swordfish, the first American submarine to sink a Japanese ship during World War II. 

Was your childhood a happy one?

Definitely. One of my strongest childhood memories is making wine in the basement with my father. My childhood was lively and chaotic – I’m one of five daughters; I have a lot of happy memories.

What were your ambitions as a teenager?

I wanted to be a ballerina. I started dancing at a young age and moved to New York City when I turned 17 to pursue a career in ballet. I studied the Cecchetti method, which is a style of classical ballet devised by the Italian ballet master Enrico Cecchetti. I performed in New York and Connecticut.

So what happened?

Basically, I abandoned  my childhood dream because I realized I wasn’t good enough. I had plenty of passion and drive, but I never had natural turnout and good feet.  It was a difficult decision.

Your next career move was accepting a job at Scores, a famous Manhattan strip club. Did you enjoy the work?

I loved dancing at Scores; the dancers were never completely naked and the pay was excellent. I was giving people what they needed in a controlled environment – it wasn’t sleazy. I actually discovered my passion for wine during this period in my life. I used to give the DJ a couple of hundred dollars to let me go off stage and into the restaurant. There I would entertain wealthy clients – they would often buy these incredibly expensive wines with dinner [laughs]. I remember hinting to one guy that I’d never tried Haut-Brion. I also met my ex-husband when I was working at Scores. He was a customer and came with his then girlfriend.

In 2002 you signed an exclusive contract with Vivid Entertainment to make erotic films. What lured you into the world of pornography?

During my time at Scores, I was a frequent guest on the Howard Stern Show, in fact I have the Mr Skin Award for providing the most eye candy on his show for the last 20 years. Howard told me I’d do porn one day – I guess he wasn’t wrong. In 2000 I made my first movie with Rocco Siffredi as a wedding gift for my husband – I know it’s crazy, but true. The film – Rocco Meats An American Angel In Paris – was nominated at the AVN awards, an organization that is sponsored by the adult-entertainment industry. At the awards, I saw a booth that was representing Vivid Entertainment and I approached them to ask about working with the company. The rest, as they say, is history.

How did you come up with the stage name Savanna Samson?

That happened when I was dancing at Scores. Savanna is the name of a character in a Nick Nolte film – The Prince Of Tides. I knew that if I wanted to make it in this business, then I would need a memorable stage name.

You stopped making erotic films in 2010 – why did you decide to leave this world behind?

Prior to 2010, I had an epiphany when I visited a famous club in the US. There were posters of these once famous porn stars covering the walls and I remember meeting one such star. To be honest, she was wasted. And then it hit me – I didn’t want to end up an “old maid”. I’d seen too many fallen stars hit rock bottom. I knew it was time to move on and pursue other dreams. I thought: “What can I do to carry on a legacy as Savanna Samson, something my son could bank on in the future and be proud of?”  What better way than my love for wine?

Such as making wine in Tuscany?

Indeed, I started traveling extensively in Italy and France in 1998 – my ex-husband was a wine merchant. I just fell in love with the wine world. I remember saying to my husband that I wanted to own a winery one day. I had to make it happen.

© La Fiorita
| The Poggia al Sole vineyard at La Fiorita.

So you formed a company called Savanna Samson Wines – who made your first vintage?

Italian winemaker and consultant Roberto Cipresso – Daniel Oliveros introduced me to him. We had instant chemistry and I wanted him to help me blend our first wine. We decided upon a blend of 70 percent Cesanese, 20 percent Sangiovese and 10 percent Montepulciano. The wine was called Sogno Uno, meaning “Dream One”. I’m proud to say that Robert Parker awarded the wine 91 points. By 2007, I had released two further wines – Sogno Tre and Sogno Due.

Roberto Cipresso was the co-founder of a small winery called La Fiorita – why did you decide to buy a  share in 2011?

Well, I had fallen in love with the winery and it seemed like the opportune time to take the plunge. Roberto and his two partners wanted to sell and I had the capital. It just all seemed to fit. There’s also a silent partner, but I’m responsible for the international marketing.

What changes have you made since you got directly involved in 2011?

In 2014, we took full control of La Fiorita and planted our third vineyard, situated to the southwest area of Montalcino. We have worked hard to secure organic certification for all our vineyards. We also commissioned the construction of a new state-of-the-art winery and cellar. But, most importantly, we keep working hard to improve the quality with every vintage. La Fiorita is always in a process of development and evolution – we have installed a concrete egg in the winery, to see if this can bring something positive to our wines. There are currently 9 hectares under vine – the oldest vineyards are 22 years old.

What are the key markets today for La Fiorita?

Over 65 percent is sold in the US, followed by Belgium, Germany and Japan. Sweden is becoming more and more important – they’re buying more bottles than the UK at the moment. By 2024, we hope to reach an annual production of approximately 30,000 bottles.

How is La Fiorita coping with global warming?

Like every wine-estate owner in Montalcino, I’m worried about rising alcohol levels. But we’re working hard to cope with rising temperatures – adopting our canopy management techniques, etc. We’ll also consider raising our yields, as currently the average yield at La Fiorita is very low. Producers are becoming obsessed with higher altitudes, buying the highest vineyards they can lay their hands on. I wouldn’t be surprised if the regulatory body adapt the rules in the years to come.

Have you been drastically affected by the coronavirus pandemic?

Italy is the land of drama and opera, so you know things are bad when the entire country is shut down. Thus far, it hasn’t affected our revenue, although obviously my travel schedule is now canceled. But I’m not worried personally – there is an argument for building up a collective immunity in the population.

James Suckling was famously unimpressed with Sogno Uno. Do you think wine critics have too much power, or is their influence waning?

Of course I’m happy when my wines receive good scores, but there are some aspects of the wine press that really frustrate me. For example, critics and journalists derided the 2014 vintage in Montalcino. James Suckling told people “not to bother”. But we made some good wines and I hate this generalizing about vintages. Yes it was a difficult growing season, but we showed our wines to customers and received good feedback. As to the question about their influence, I think that younger consumers are more interested in peer reviews than the opinions of one critic.

Do you take low scores personally?

I do get upset some times when I see people on BuzzFeed slagging off my wines. I just presume they’ve tried a faulty bottle. I care because I want La Fiorita to make the best wines it possibly can, and I want people to enjoy them.

When you’re not traveling and working, how do you relax?

I’m very fortunate to live in Manhattan, so I take full advantage of the city’s vibrant cultural life.

Favorite holiday destination, book and film?

Some of the smaller Caribbean destinations like Turks & Caicos are enchanting. My favorite book(s) is Neapolitan quartet, a four-part series by the Italian author Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein. As for film, you must see Nights of Cabiria, a 1957 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini.

You’ve had a varied and exciting career – are you happy with how things turned out?

Yes, I’ve met some wonderful people and I’m very proud of my son Luchino. But I’m sorry my marriage ended – I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t lonely.

Today, what makes you happy and what saddens you?

My son’s laughter always makes me happy. But I loathe animal cruelty, that really depresses me.