You have worked in the wine industry from a young age; did you always know you wanted to work as a sommelier?
I always knew I wanted to work in a restaurant from a young age as I really enjoyed the service side of the work, and the interaction with the guests.
The opportunity to learn about wine came when I finished catering school, as I was given the chance to attend wine school. That’s where I really fell in love with wine. Meeting with the producers, tasting, listening to their stories and then being able to pass on that knowledge to the customer, as well as pairing their wines with the food, was what I loved.
What inspires you about wines—what excites you about your work?
In terms of wine, I am inspired by many things: meeting the wine growers, visiting the vineyards and understanding how they look after them; learning about the different regions in the world capable of producing wine and in turn, the diversity of wine. I look mostly for small producers with low intervention when it comes to growing their local grape in their own region. I always look for more traditional and artisan wines. It’s a continuous journey, there is always a lot more to learn and gems to be found!
Being able to list any wines I like especially in London is what truly excites me with my work. I work mostly at Social Wine and Tapas, and here we are very lucky as we get wines from all over the world, some in small quantities, which make them even more special. When we open restaurants in other countries it becomes more challenging to find the producers and styles suited to the restaurant, but it is a fun challenge!
I love the contact I have with guests and I enjoy taking them on a journey when I let them taste wine. It’s a passion, and these are stories I want to share with my team and the guests I serve.
What do you look for in a wine? Do you have any favourites at the moment?
I like a freshness in the wine: fruit driven, elegance, complexity, an identity and some wildness! I go more towards lighter styles and from small growers that are low intervention. Where possible I like them to be biodynamic, using as little sulphur as possible—ideally none.
A few months ago I travelled to Australia and was impressed with the dynamic of the producers in Adelaide Hills especially, but also in the Yarra Valley. The positivity, focus and the joint effort of the producers to represent their region is wonderful, and I find the wines much fresher with a lower alcohol content than a few years back, so I am adding more New World wines to my lists as a result.
Eastern Europe is also getting interesting, so I am keeping an eye and working on this, and I also like to see ageing coming through; I always find it exciting to taste older vintages.
My favourite wine is always a Loire Valley chenin blanc from the Anjou area. For me I believe it is an underrated wine, with so many small producers.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work, and what the most satisfying?
The most challenging aspect of my work is probably getting allocations on some of the wines, as some vintages can be difficult to get hold of due to the demand.
The most satisfying part of my work is being able to share my passion with the customer; recommending, serving and tasting the wine.
It’s also satisfying when our wine list gets recognition, as it takes hours of learning, finding and tasting before you even order the wines. A wine list for me reflects the style of the head sommelier, so it’s very important to me, like a chef choosing the right ingredients to create his menu.
You have worked as group head sommelier at Jason Atherton’s restaurant group for several years now, with successful launches both in the UK and abroad. What do you think makes a successful sommelier?
Staying focussed and having the ability to work as a team, along with an attention to detail, an ability to stay positive and giving the best experience to the customer, which includes sharing your passion and knowledge about wine and the industry with as well as the other members of the team.
Experiencing other restaurants and wine bars is essential, as well as travelling to visit producers and wine regions so you keep learning. You have to not mind working the long hours, too.
What wines and grapes do you think are likely to grow in popularity in the next couple of years?
Skin contact is really happening, from a few days to months maceration, so some wine you don’t even notice the colour—there are so many more components: layers, complexity, structure, aroma… it allows us to be able to do amazing pairings. I even think I have convinced Ronan Sayburn to list orange wine at 67 Pall Mall! Or at least, to drink it.
I am hoping Pais in Chile will grow in popularity in the coming years as I think we should see more. Georgian wines are also joining more wine lists, which is interesting.
What and who inspires you?
I am inspired by many things and people. Tasting wine and meeting the producers is a huge inspiration… so is drinking wine!
My teacher Patrick Rigourd, who trained me in the Loire, has inspired me, as has Gerard Basset. I also find many writers inspirational, such as John Livingstone Learmonth, Michael Broadbent, Steven Spurier and Jasper Morris.
What would your ideal day out in west London involve?
Going out to eat lunch at the Ledbury, one of my favourite restaurants in London.
What else do you enjoy?
Wine bars (of course!). I am always looking for new places to experience and share wines with my friends and fellow sommeliers over lunch. I also love travelling and sake.
