I first got interested in wine through living in France, my father's Wine Society cIaret collection and Hugh Johnson's wine atlas, at the age of 13 or 14. Following a geography degree at Kings College London, I had no particular vocational urge, and finding myself in need of funds and living in London, I enrolled into the wine company Saccone & Speed's graduate training scheme, where I got a solid grounding in many aspects of the wine business from top to tail. Since then, a well-stocked but quixotic CV has been built up. Key periods of work include an eight year stint at London City Bond where I was made a director, but left in 1995 to start my MW studies. Other positions have included wine buying at a mail order company called Wine Corporation, and Logistics Manager at Lanson (UK) and developing sales for Spanish specialists Moreno Wines. I am currently working for Henkell & Co UK, the sparkling wine distributor.

Current employer: Freixenet Copestick

Primary area(s) of work: Trade

Industry sector(s): Sales, Distribution, Agency/Importer, Off trade, On trade, Buying, Wine judge

Wine styles: Sparkling wine, Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sekt, Still wines

Wine region expertise: Argentina, Chile, Germany, Marlborough, New Zealand, Rheingau, South Australia, South-West France, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Galicia, Penedes, Navarra, Spain, Priorat, Valencia, Jerez, Veneto/Friuli

Market expertise: United Kingdom, Germany, Scandinavia

Specialisms: Supplier/customer relationships, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Routes to market, Importation, Distribution, HORECA, Direct to consumer, Supermarket and multiple retail, Independent retail, Food and wine pairing, Restaurant wines, Wine labels, Branding, Wine judging