Laurie Cooper is the owner and head lecturer at the KwaZulu-Natal School of Wine (which she founded in January 2015) and the sommelier and 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 of 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).
In 2024, she was selected for the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA)'s Team South Africa, an elite group of the nation's most skilled sommeliers dedicated to representing South Africa in international wine competitions. In 2025, Laurie was elected as the chairperson of SASA.