Scott Lefler,
Wine Director

Scott Lefler was born and raised amongst the creeks, trees, and hills of northeast Kansas. Having public school teachers as parents, exploration was encouraged for him at a young age. Indoors, music was a fundamental element within his close-knit family and became his first great pursuit. During studies of music and trumpet at the University of Kansas, Scott found work in restaurants and bars as a way to make ends meet. However, it wasn’t until working with star Kansas Chef, Ken Baker, that he learned how both challenging and rewarding hospitality can be when there is a compelling story to be told on the plate or in the glass. After receiving a wine book around this time (with lots of pictures) his interest in beverages soared.

His first ticket out of Kansas however, was to the high seas, where he played trumpet on cruise ships for three years. After continuing beverage study and testing during his time on ships, Lefler moved to Australia for 2011. There he dove headfirst into the deep waters of his wine career: 7,000+ kilometers of solo travel, employment as a vintage cellar hand, and a robust first sommelier gig at what was Australasia’s finest and San Pellegrino’s #26 restaurant in the world: Quay Restaurant in Sydney, NSW.

After overdosing on Vegemite in Australia, he moved to Rhode Island to be closer to his sister and where he dove deep into New England beer culture. But his NYC dream persisted and finally became a reality, when Scott headed to the city in 2014 to direct Michelin-starred PUBLIC restaurant's Australia/New Zealand-focused wine program.

Scott next sought mentorship, after realizing how much he had to learn, and found his 'Mister Miyagi' in Master Sommelier Alexander LaPratt of Brooklyn. Scott opened and ran the beverage program for Beasts & Bottles Restaurant under Mr. LaPratt for nearly three years. This tutelage enabled him to punctuate his time in NYC by winning the national sommelier competition “Challenge Sud de France” and competing internationally, before passing the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Sommelier Exam in 2018.

Scott's recent reintroduction to New England began with him first joining the beverage team at Post 390, in Boston’s Back Bay and working for local wine legend Brahm Callahan, MS. Yet as a Salem resident, he felt a pull to form deeper connections within his immediate community, and was elated to join the skilled team at Ledger.

As the Wine Director of Ledger, Scott enjoys pulling wine from yonder corners of the world, like Australia, but delights most in offering wines for every guest’s interest for thirst and adventure, for appropriate seasonal comfort, and to be a fantastic companion to Chef Gursha’s impassioned menu.

He is most often found outside of Ledger experiencing music, exploring the seashores and forests, creating spreadsheets, and dreaming of being a Hobbit when he grows up.

Scott would love to talk about beverages with you here.