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Six years ago I walked out of Edinburgh University with a degree I had no intention of following. Instead I went straight into a newly opened wine focused restaurant as an assistant Sommelier, willing to do anything which would help build up and improve on what I knew of wine. The long hours and low pay were worth it, as through this I gained the confidence to push forward with my passion, gaining a place on the Post Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology at Lincoln University in New Zealand. The course was hard work, but undoubtedly one of the most rewarding choices I could have made. Here, immersed around vibrant and forward thinking winemakers we learnt almost every aspect of the wine industry, equipping me with a great base on which to build.
Since then I have never looked back, finding myself covering vintages around the world as a flying Cellar-hand. I have covered vintages in Burgundy, Napa, Barossa Valley, Marlborough, Languedoc and Provence. All chosen to ensure I’ve got to work with some of the worlds best winemakers. In between vintages I've worked as a Wine Merchant for one of London's foremost Independent Fine Wine Merchants, Lea & Sandeman. Taking a side step into free-lance wine writing has given me an opportunity to cover and learn more about the broader issues affecting the industry. I have since had articles published in drinks magazines "Imbibe" and "Drinks Business". To keep writing enjoyable and fun, I set up the Spokengrape, a blog which gives me a free space to express my opinions, post recent tasting notes and write about my life in wine.