Laurie Cooper is the owner and head lecturer at the KZN School of Wine (which she founded in January 2015) and the winemaker at Abingdon Wine Estate in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
She is a member of the Associate Institute of Wines and Spirits (AWIS), the 2019 Best Young Sommelier of South Africa, and a student on the prestigious Master of Wine programme.
Laurie also holds a WSET diploma, SASA Level 2 sommelier certification, and Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy certification (distinction). She has served as a judge for the SAA wines selection panel as well as The Trophy Wine Show and London-based International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).