Safe to say that there has never been any question that food and wine would be Haley’s life. By the age of 15, her father had her guessing varietals on their trips to Napa Valley. The scary part (for her father) was that she was guessing many of them correctly. During her first trip to Paris at 17, she had her first multi-course meal paired with wine and decided right then and there that this was to be her path.

Haley went on to study Hospitality Management at San Diego State University. After that, she continued her studies at the College of Food, Tourism and Creative Studies in Birmingham, England where she received a culinary certification. At the age of 24, she was already the Wine Director at the acclaimed Bacar Restaurant overseeing 1,200 selections. In 2009, she became the Lead Sommelier at the nationally acclaimed Spruce Restaurant overseeing a list with over 2,600 selections. During her tenure at Spruce, her wine list was awarded the Wine Spectator ‘Best Award of Excellence’. In 2012, she joined The Stock and Bones Company as the Wine & Spirits Director overseeing all 5 of their restaurants; Town Hall, Salt House, Anchor & Hope, Irving St. Kitchen and Corners Tavern.

She has been featured in articles both locally and nationally including The Chicago Tribune, Wine Enthusiast, the Sommelier Journal, and was named one of Restaurant Hospitality Magazines ‘Top 30 under 30’ Sommeliers of America. Her belief is that wine is simply a snapshot of culture and history. Her goal is to source exceptional wines that are the best representation of the place from which they come from.

Helena graduated from Cornell University in 2000 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology, and immediately went to Maine as a chef on a schooner. The biology career was over before it began, and after exploring a few restaurants, she returned to school in 2004 at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon graduation in Baking and Pastry Arts, she interned at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. Surrounded by friends and family in Asheville, she flourished at the estate for another 3 years. Her mentor and Pastry Chef left the estate to open her own shop, Filo, and Helena followed her for another year to learn about Greek and other European pastries and breads. She married her Biltmore sweetheart in 2008 and together they moved across the country to Portland, OR to see what the West Coast food culture had to offer. She took a job at Andina Restaurant as the pastry chef until 501 grill & Tavern opened up down the street, and once Helena met Sarah Schafer she was hooked. Growing with the restaurant since its inception in 2010, Helena has found the workplace and town that she considers her home.