Savanna Samson
Encyclopedia
Natalie Oliveros, better known by the stage name Savanna Samson, is an American pornographic actress. The winner of several AVN Awards
, she has spent most of her career as a contract performer with major producer Vivid Entertainment
, and is known for her roles in acclaimed adult films such as The New Devil in Miss Jones. In addition to performing, she has her own adult film studio, Savanna Samson Productions. A native of upstate New York
, she entered the adult film industry in 2000, after working as a dancer at the Manhattan
strip club, Scores.
Samson has gained mainstream recognition with appearances on television shows such as Saturday Night Live
, The Daily Show
and 30 Rock
. Her wide range of activities outside pornography include working as a sex-advice columnist, a radio presenter and a political correspondent. She also produces her own line of wines, has a recording contract with E1 Music and is a trained ballerina.
to pursue a career in ballet. However, she eventually gave this up, admitting she "wasn't good enough", and took a job dancing at the Manhattan
strip club Scores, on the recommendation of her sister who worked there. When starting at the club, she chose the stage name Savanna in homage to a character in The Prince of Tides
. The surname Samson, taken from the biblical figure
, was added later in her career to distinguish her from porn actress Savannah. While at Scores, she met her future husband, wine merchant Daniel Oliveros, with whom she now has a son.
, asking to work with him. She initially wanted to make a movie in order to fulfill a fantasy, after her husband had given her the idea, and hoped no one she knew would find out. However, after her first movie, Rocco Meats An American Angel In Paris, which was nominated for "Best Foreign Release" at the AVN Awards
, she got what she described as "porn fever" and went on to make further movies. Her family soon discovered her film career when she appeared on The Howard Stern Show and Entertainment Tonight
. Samson stated in 2006, "My parents are devastated by my career choices".
In April 2002, she signed an exclusive contract with Vivid Entertainment
. She continued to live in New York, and commuted to California to shoot films for the company. Samson was among three Vivid Girls to be profiled in an early-2003 issue of Vanity Fair
, as part of an annual roundup of the entertainment industry. The Girls were featured alongside other entertainers, such as Daniel Day-Lewis
and Julianne Moore
, in a double-page photograph taken at Elton John
's home on the French Riviera
. She was also one of several Vivid Girls to provide content for the book How to Have a XXX Sex Life: The Ultimate Vivid Guide, published by ReganBooks
on July 20, 2004. Samson helped promote the book with appearances on The O'Reilly Factor
and The Howard Stern Show. In May 2004, she joined several other porn actresses as a columnist for AVNInsider.com. At the 2004 AVN Awards
, Samson won "Best Actress – Film" and "Best Group Sex Scene – Film" for her role in Looking In, a 2003 film about four suburban couples who have a view into each other's houses.
Along with comedian Thea Vidale
, Samson hosted the 2005 AVN Awards, at which she won awards herself for "Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film" and "Best Group Sex Scene – Film". In February 2005, Samson began co-hosting a daily music-and-talk radio show on the Internet station Electric Eye Radio. Later in the year, she featured alongside Jenna Jameson
in Vivid's high-budget remake of the classic adult film The Devil in Miss Jones
. Samson's role as Miss Jones earned her the 2006 AVN Awards for "Best Actress – Film" and "Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film". During her acceptance speech, she revealed the importance of support from her peers and said "most of my family is pretty ashamed of what I do".
Samson announced in early 2006 that she had started her own production company
, Savanna Samson Productions, which would release one film a year, distributed exclusively by Vivid. During 2006, Samson appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show, Secret Lives of Women
, and for the second time, Saturday Night Live
. Michael Lucas
' 2006 gay-porn remake
of La Dolce Vita
featured a cameo appearance by Samson, which in 2007 won her the GayVN Award for "Best Non-Sexual Performance".
Early in 2007, Samson signed a record contract with Koch Records
, now known as E1 Music, who approached her after hearing her sing during a radio tour. On May 3, 2007, she appeared as a guest on the WNYC
radio series, The Tristan Mysteries, to discuss Richard Wagner
's opera "Tristan und Isolde
". A long-time Wagner fan, Samson stated "I think I'm in a unique position to discuss the sensual aspects of the 'Tristan and Isolde' characters and of opera in general". In June 2007, Savanna Samson Productions released its first title, Any Way You Want Me, an interactive movie directed by and starring Samson. She also appeared in the 2007 film Debbie Does Dallas ... Again
, a sequel to the 1978 classic Debbie Does Dallas
, as well as its "making of" series that was broadcast weekly on Showtime. The film gained her a 2008 AVN Award for "Best Group Sex Scene – Film".
In April 2008, Samson became a political correspondent on Fox News Channel
's late-night talk show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
. She had made several previous appearances on the show, and in 2007 had endorsed New York mayor Rudy Giuliani
's Republican presidential candidacy. September 2008 saw the unveiling of her debut album, Possession, and her first single, a title track co-written by Samson during the breakup of her marriage. Commenting on the theme of the song, she said, "People see me nude and having sex and think they know me and that I'm available, but I'm no more available than Angelina Jolie". Later in the month, she had a cameo role on The Daily Show
, in which she portrayed CBS Evening News
anchor Katie Couric
in a commercial for a fictional action-adventure show. In the appearance, Samson asks Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones
, "Hey, Jones, you really think you've got the balls for that story?" She began writing a sex-advice column for the adult entertainment site XCritic.com in June 2009, having previously written such columns for Men’s Fitness magazine and AdultFriendFinder.com. Samson made her mainstream acting debut in the 30 Rock
episode, "Into the Crevasse
", which first aired on October 22, 2009. In the episode, she plays a porn version of Tina Fey
's character, Liz Lemon
. In 2011 Samson will be inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame
in 2011.
According to the Internet Adult Film Database
, as of May 2010 Samson had appeared in 90 adult movies, including compilations containing recycled scenes. A 2006 article in The New York Times
reported that she earns from $20,000 to over $100,000 per film, depending on sales, with each one taking from three days to two weeks to make. An Adult Video News article written in February 2006 stated that Samson had five years left on her contract with Vivid.
, Italy, she decided she could "leave a mark on this world" by making wine. The wife of a wine merchant, she had frequently traveled to Italy and France, and often fantasized about owning her own vineyard. When she was a child, she had helped her family make wine in their basement.
She formed the company, Savanna Samson Wines, and asked Italian winemaker and consultant Roberto Cipresso to help find a blend of grapes local to Tuscany that would produce her ideal flavor. They eventually chose a mixture of 70 percent Cesanese, 20 percent Sangiovese
and 10 percent Montepulciano
, which produced a red wine that she named Sogno Uno, meaning Dream One. Its label played on Samson's notoriety as a porn star, featuring a side view of her wearing only a see-through gown and high heels. Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
gave Sogno Uno a rating of 90 to 91 out of 100, and described it as "awfully good". A gala launch was held for the wine at a Manhattan restaurant on February 27, 2006. On the following Saturday Night Live, a news parody segment poked fun at Samson’s new venture, commenting that the wine "goes well with meat... and fish". By June 2007, her company had produced a further two wines.
AVN Awards
The AVN Awards are movie awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are called the "Oscars of porn"...
, she has spent most of her career as a contract performer with major producer Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment Group is an adult video producer, featuring a catalog of VHS and DVD titles and internet content. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry....
, and is known for her roles in acclaimed adult films such as The New Devil in Miss Jones. In addition to performing, she has her own adult film studio, Savanna Samson Productions. A native of upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, she entered the adult film industry in 2000, after working as a dancer at the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
strip club, Scores.
Samson has gained mainstream recognition with appearances on television shows such as Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
and 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
. Her wide range of activities outside pornography include working as a sex-advice columnist, a radio presenter and a political correspondent. She also produces her own line of wines, has a recording contract with E1 Music and is a trained ballerina.
Early life
One of five daughters, Samson grew up Roman Catholic in Watertown, New York. She began dancing at a young age, and at 17 moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to pursue a career in ballet. However, she eventually gave this up, admitting she "wasn't good enough", and took a job dancing at the Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
strip club Scores, on the recommendation of her sister who worked there. When starting at the club, she chose the stage name Savanna in homage to a character in The Prince of Tides
The Prince of Tides
The Prince of Tides is a 1991 romantic drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Pat Conroy; the film stars Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte. It tells the story of the narrator's struggle to overcome the psychological damage inflicted by his dysfunctional childhood in South Carolina...
. The surname Samson, taken from the biblical figure
Samson
Samson, Shimshon ; Shamshoun or Sampson is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Tanakh ....
, was added later in her career to distinguish her from porn actress Savannah. While at Scores, she met her future husband, wine merchant Daniel Oliveros, with whom she now has a son.
Adult film career
Samson's move into the adult film business began in 2000, after she wrote a letter to Italian porn actor and director Rocco SiffrediRocco Siffredi
Rocco Siffredi is the stage name of an Italian pornographic actor, director and producer of pornographic movies, famous for his rough sex scenes...
, asking to work with him. She initially wanted to make a movie in order to fulfill a fantasy, after her husband had given her the idea, and hoped no one she knew would find out. However, after her first movie, Rocco Meats An American Angel In Paris, which was nominated for "Best Foreign Release" at the AVN Awards
AVN Awards
The AVN Awards are movie awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are called the "Oscars of porn"...
, she got what she described as "porn fever" and went on to make further movies. Her family soon discovered her film career when she appeared on The Howard Stern Show and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
. Samson stated in 2006, "My parents are devastated by my career choices".
In April 2002, she signed an exclusive contract with Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment
Vivid Entertainment Group is an adult video producer, featuring a catalog of VHS and DVD titles and internet content. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry....
. She continued to live in New York, and commuted to California to shoot films for the company. Samson was among three Vivid Girls to be profiled in an early-2003 issue of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, as part of an annual roundup of the entertainment industry. The Girls were featured alongside other entertainers, such as Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
and Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore
Julianne Moore is an American actress and a children's book author. Throughout her career, she has been nominated for four Oscars, six Golden Globes, three BAFTAs and nine Screen Actors Guild Awards....
, in a double-page photograph taken at Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's home on the French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
. She was also one of several Vivid Girls to provide content for the book How to Have a XXX Sex Life: The Ultimate Vivid Guide, published by ReganBooks
ReganBooks
ReganBooks was an American bestselling imprint or division of HarperCollins book publishing house , headed by editor and publisher Judith Regan, started in 1994 and ended in late 2006. During its existence, Regan was called, by LA Weekly, "the world's most successful publisher". The division...
on July 20, 2004. Samson helped promote the book with appearances on The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
and The Howard Stern Show. In May 2004, she joined several other porn actresses as a columnist for AVNInsider.com. At the 2004 AVN Awards
AVN Awards
The AVN Awards are movie awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are called the "Oscars of porn"...
, Samson won "Best Actress – Film" and "Best Group Sex Scene – Film" for her role in Looking In, a 2003 film about four suburban couples who have a view into each other's houses.
Along with comedian Thea Vidale
Thea Vidale
Thea Vidale , is an American stand-up comedian and actress.She began her career doing stand-up comedy in comic clubs in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles...
, Samson hosted the 2005 AVN Awards, at which she won awards herself for "Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film" and "Best Group Sex Scene – Film". In February 2005, Samson began co-hosting a daily music-and-talk radio show on the Internet station Electric Eye Radio. Later in the year, she featured alongside Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson
Jenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
in Vivid's high-budget remake of the classic adult film The Devil in Miss Jones
The Devil in Miss Jones
The Devil in Miss Jones is a pornographic film, written, directed and produced by Gerard Damiano and starring Georgina Spelvin. It is widely regarded as a classic adult film, released during the Golden Age of Porn. Damiano made the film after his 1972 success with Deep Throat...
. Samson's role as Miss Jones earned her the 2006 AVN Awards for "Best Actress – Film" and "Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film". During her acceptance speech, she revealed the importance of support from her peers and said "most of my family is pretty ashamed of what I do".
Samson announced in early 2006 that she had started her own production company
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...
, Savanna Samson Productions, which would release one film a year, distributed exclusively by Vivid. During 2006, Samson appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show, Secret Lives of Women
Secret Lives of Women
Secret Lives of Women is a reality television series airing Tuesday nights at 10pm/9 central on WE: Women's Entertainment. The show probes little-known subcultures of women in the United States...
, and for the second time, Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. Michael Lucas
Michael Lucas (director)
Michael Lucas is an American-Russian-Israeli gay pornographic actor, director, activist, writer and the founder/CEO of Lucas Entertainment, New York's largest gay-adult-film company...
' 2006 gay-porn remake
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita
Michael Lucas' La Dolce Vita is a gay pornographic remake of the Federico Fellini classic La dolce vita, directed by Michael Lucas and Tony Dimarco and released by Lucas Entertainment in 2006....
of La Dolce Vita
La Dolce Vita
La Dolce Vita is a 1960 comedy-drama film written and directed by the critically acclaimed director Federico Fellini. The film is a story of a passive journalist's week in Rome, and his search for both happiness and love that will never come...
featured a cameo appearance by Samson, which in 2007 won her the GayVN Award for "Best Non-Sexual Performance".
Early in 2007, Samson signed a record contract with Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...
, now known as E1 Music, who approached her after hearing her sing during a radio tour. On May 3, 2007, she appeared as a guest on the WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
radio series, The Tristan Mysteries, to discuss Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's opera "Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
". A long-time Wagner fan, Samson stated "I think I'm in a unique position to discuss the sensual aspects of the 'Tristan and Isolde' characters and of opera in general". In June 2007, Savanna Samson Productions released its first title, Any Way You Want Me, an interactive movie directed by and starring Samson. She also appeared in the 2007 film Debbie Does Dallas ... Again
Debbie Does Dallas ... Again
Debbie Does Dallas ... Again is a 2007 Vivid Entertainment sequel to Debbie Does Dallas featuring Monique Alexander, Savanna Samson, Hillary Scott, Stefani Morgan, and Sunny Leone...
, a sequel to the 1978 classic Debbie Does Dallas
Debbie Does Dallas
Debbie Does Dallas is a 1978 pornographic film starring Bambi Woods. The plot of the film focuses on a team of cheerleaders attempting to earn enough money to send the title character to Dallas, Texas, to try out for the famous “Texas Cowgirls” cheerleading squad. The fictional name "Texas...
, as well as its "making of" series that was broadcast weekly on Showtime. The film gained her a 2008 AVN Award for "Best Group Sex Scene – Film".
In April 2008, Samson became a political correspondent on Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
's late-night talk show Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld is a late-night/early-morning satirical talk show on the Fox News Channel, airing at 3:00 am ET Tuesday through Saturday. The show features panelists and guests discussing the latest news in politics, pop culture, entertainment, business, sports, and religion...
. She had made several previous appearances on the show, and in 2007 had endorsed New York mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
's Republican presidential candidacy. September 2008 saw the unveiling of her debut album, Possession, and her first single, a title track co-written by Samson during the breakup of her marriage. Commenting on the theme of the song, she said, "People see me nude and having sex and think they know me and that I'm available, but I'm no more available than Angelina Jolie". Later in the month, she had a cameo role on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, in which she portrayed CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
anchor Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
in a commercial for a fictional action-adventure show. In the appearance, Samson asks Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones
Jason Jones (actor)
Jason Jones is a Canadian actor and comedian who is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.-Life and career:Jones was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He attended Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto...
, "Hey, Jones, you really think you've got the balls for that story?" She began writing a sex-advice column for the adult entertainment site XCritic.com in June 2009, having previously written such columns for Men’s Fitness magazine and AdultFriendFinder.com. Samson made her mainstream acting debut in the 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
episode, "Into the Crevasse
Into the Crevasse
"Into the Crevasse" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American television comedy series 30 Rock, and the 60th overall episode of the series. The episode was written by co-showrunner and executive producer Robert Carlock and directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. It originally aired on...
", which first aired on October 22, 2009. In the episode, she plays a porn version of Tina Fey
Tina Fey
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live , the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls and Baby Mama .Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the...
's character, Liz Lemon
Liz Lemon
Elizabeth Miervaldis "Liz" Lemon is the main character of the American television series 30 Rock. She is portrayed by Tina Fey, who is also the creator of the series and its showrunner.-Personal history:...
. In 2011 Samson will be inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame
AVN Hall of Fame
This is a list of members of the AVN Hall of Fame. The AVN Hall of Fame honors the legends of the adult entertainment industry.- AVN Hall of Fame members :[Top]| style="vertical-align:top; width:15px;"|...
in 2011.
According to the Internet Adult Film Database
Internet Adult Film Database
The Internet Adult Film Database is an online database of information pertaining to the American adult industry, covering actors, actresses, directors and movies. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, in that it is open to the public and is searchable. Films produced by non-American porn...
, as of May 2010 Samson had appeared in 90 adult movies, including compilations containing recycled scenes. A 2006 article in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that she earns from $20,000 to over $100,000 per film, depending on sales, with each one taking from three days to two weeks to make. An Adult Video News article written in February 2006 stated that Samson had five years left on her contract with Vivid.
Winemaking
Despite enjoying her career in the adult film industry, Samson felt it left her unfulfilled. In 2005, while on vacation in TuscanyTuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy, she decided she could "leave a mark on this world" by making wine. The wife of a wine merchant, she had frequently traveled to Italy and France, and often fantasized about owning her own vineyard. When she was a child, she had helped her family make wine in their basement.
She formed the company, Savanna Samson Wines, and asked Italian winemaker and consultant Roberto Cipresso to help find a blend of grapes local to Tuscany that would produce her ideal flavor. They eventually chose a mixture of 70 percent Cesanese, 20 percent Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
and 10 percent Montepulciano
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a red Italian wine made from the Montepulciano wine grape in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy. The wine was classified as Denominazione di origine controllata in 1968 with a separate Denominazione di origine controllata e Garantita for wine produced around...
, which produced a red wine that she named Sogno Uno, meaning Dream One. Its label played on Samson's notoriety as a porn star, featuring a side view of her wearing only a see-through gown and high heels. Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with an international influence. His wine ratings on a 100-point scale and his newsletter The Wine Advocate, with his particular stylistic preferences and notetaking vocabulary, have become very influential in American wine buying and are...
gave Sogno Uno a rating of 90 to 91 out of 100, and described it as "awfully good". A gala launch was held for the wine at a Manhattan restaurant on February 27, 2006. On the following Saturday Night Live, a news parody segment poked fun at Samson’s new venture, commenting that the wine "goes well with meat... and fish". By June 2007, her company had produced a further two wines.
Awards
- 2004 AVN Award for Best Actress for Looking In
- 2004 AVN Award for Best Group SexGroup sexGroup sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Group sex can occur amongst people of all sexual orientations and genders...
Scene – Film for Looking In - 2005 AVN Award for Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film for The MasseuseThe MasseuseThe Masseuse is a pornographic film, made in 1990 and starring Randy Spears and Hyapatia Lee.A sequel, The Masseuse 2, was released in 1994 and also won awards. The movie was remade with the same plot in 2004 with Jenna Jameson and Justin Sterling in the starring roles...
(with Jenna JamesonJenna JamesonJenna Jameson is an American entrepreneur and former pornographic actress, who has been called the world's most famous adult-entertainment performer and "The Queen of Porn."...
) - 2005 AVN Award for Best Group Sex Scene – Film for Dual Identity
- 2005 Eroticline Award for Best Erotic Actress in the World
- 2006 XRCO Award for Best Single Performance – Actress for The New Devil in Miss Jones
- 2006 AVN Award for Best Actress – Film for The New Devil in Miss Jones
- 2006 AVN Award for Best All-Girl Sex Scene – Film for The New Devil in Miss Jones
- 2007 GayVN Award for Best Non-Sexual Performance for Michael Lucas' La Dolce VitaMichael Lucas' La Dolce VitaMichael Lucas' La Dolce Vita is a gay pornographic remake of the Federico Fellini classic La dolce vita, directed by Michael Lucas and Tony Dimarco and released by Lucas Entertainment in 2006....
- 2008 AVN Award for Best Group Sex Scene – Film for Debbie Does Dallas ... AgainDebbie Does Dallas ... AgainDebbie Does Dallas ... Again is a 2007 Vivid Entertainment sequel to Debbie Does Dallas featuring Monique Alexander, Savanna Samson, Hillary Scott, Stefani Morgan, and Sunny Leone...
- 2011 AVN Hall of FameAVN Hall of FameThis is a list of members of the AVN Hall of Fame. The AVN Hall of Fame honors the legends of the adult entertainment industry.- AVN Hall of Fame members :[Top]| style="vertical-align:top; width:15px;"|...