What was your first job in the wine business and what (if anything) did you do before?
I found my niche in the wine trade in Sotheby’s Wine Department as PA to Serena Sutcliffe MW. Previously I had represented a local authority in Mâcon thanks to an economic twinning initiative set up by the twinned towns. When I returned to the UK, I sought a connection with France and was filled with ambitions of working in fine wine, so it was serendipitous that Serena was looking for a bilingual assistant at that time. Serena remains my role model – she was the second woman to obtain the Master of Wine qualification and led Sotheby’s Global Wine Department to new heights. I learnt so much from her.
How did you first get into wine? Was there a particular bottle or experience that was a light-bulb moment for you?
I was weaned on Blue Nun and Black Tower, so as soon as I went to university, I sought out the student Wine Society, although those events were certainly more focussed on quantity than quality! It was during my stint in Mâcon when some local vignerons were enthusing about a bottle of Pommard that I finally understood the term ‘wine appreciation’. This conviviality over a shared bottle was the moment it clicked.
Do you have a favourite wine region?
Burgundy and France in general will always be my first love but making wine discoveries from across the world never cease to fascinate me, and I am certainly in the right place at The Wine Society! Close second favourites are places I have travelled to and experienced first-hand – Tuscany, Rioja and Argentina – where I was blown away by the wines, hospitality and sheer beauty of the landscape.
How did you end up at Sotheby’s and what was the most exciting part of that kind of work?
My first mentor in the wine trade was my parents’ neighbour, Bryan Dawes MS. He helped kick off my wine network and encouraged me to study the WSET programme. When the opportunity arose at Sotheby’s, I already had WSET levels 2 and 3 under my belt so Serena could see my commitment as well as my enthusiasm for wine. After obtaining the WSET level 4 Diploma and packing many a cellar with the Specialist team, I progressed to a Specialist role and managed all aspects of offering a collection at auction as well as advising wine collectors on their cellars.
Auction day! Think of an auction as a theatre performance, where you never quite know what will happen! Would a world record be broken? Would it be a ‘white glove’ sale, where every lot sold? Apart from the buzz of bidding on the telephone in a live auction, there was a sense of occasion and team spirit. Auction day was great way of staying in touch with both private and trade customers, who would come along in person to secure their lots, and for the drama and the odd bargain too!
What is the strangest or wildest thing you have had to evaluate?
Nothing particularly wild or strange springs to mind, however, a client brought in a rare bottle of whisky [Dalmore 62 YO “12 Pointer”] to Sotheby’s and asked for a very high valuation. This was back in 2017 before the spirits market accelerated, so I toned down the estimates to £40,000 to £50,000 to help attract bidders and after intense competition, the bottle sold for £91,650.
What are you most looking forward to in your new role here at The Wine Society?
I am eager to help members get the most out of their reserves. Whether reviewing a fully formed collection or one that’s in its early stages, it’s all about understanding a member’s tastes, needs and aims and suggesting ways to tailor their wine holdings to best reflect that. Although I am based in Stevenage, I look forward to meeting members at one of the many events held across the country throughout the year.
What have been your first impressions of The Wine Society?
It’s huge! The scale of The Wine Society is impressive, from the warehouse operation to the breadth and depth of the wine range. There’s a palpable focus across the organisation on delivering value and service to members, and the camaraderie and willingness of colleagues to share their knowledge creates a very supportive environment.
What’s the question you get asked the most about fine wine?
What is the most expensive bottle you have ever sold at auction? This used to come up without fail when I was in the auction world. (Sotheby’s held the then world record for the most expensive bottle ever sold – a bottle of Romanée-Conti 1945 sold for $558,000 in New York in 2018. This record was surpassed earlier this year by Acker, when a bottle of the same wine from Robert Drouhin’s cellar sold for $812,500.)
What’s the question you wish you were asked?
I want to build a wine collection – what advice can you give me? To be fair, this question did come up occasionally but certainly not in my social circles! It’s a question I can’t wait to be asked in my new role as Members Reserves Adviser at The Wine Society.
What about your spare time (if you have any!) – what do you get up to?
Good news – I do get some downtime! I enjoy connecting with nature, whether looking after my garden or stepping out along the tow path of the Grand Union Canal, my local stomping ground. Cooking relaxes me, and sharing a meal with family and friends is one of the simplest pleasures in life. I also love whiling away a few hours in an art gallery or exhibition – I’m no art buff but know a Matisse from a Modigliani.
Desert-island bottle and person to share it with?
Recently I was wowed by a bottle of Viña Tondonia Reserva Blanco 2013 – it stands among the most complex and beguiling wines I have ever tasted. I would love to recreate that moment with my husband and any vintage of that wine, preferably one with bottle age, as the sun sets over the ocean.
Anything else you’d like us to know about you…?
Not for now, but ask me again over a glass of wine :)