mY Wine STory
I’ve always loved a glass of wine. I first started appreciating wine in the years after graduating from university in Bath, where I studied music and drama, and then Bristol, where I completed my teacher training. Friday evenings became games night, and my friends and I discovered the wonders of (then recently released) Yellow Tail Ozzie Shiraz, a bargain at around £4 per bottle. I remember this being the first wine I really liked enough to buy again. Within a couple of years of years time my tastes changed and I started drinking more white wines, in particular Oyster Bay NZ Sauvignon Blanc (who didn’t?!) for a hefty £7/£8 a bottle! This moved my wine game on a little and from then on all wines would be compared to this; I’d frequently think, “This wine is nice but is it as good as Oyster Bay?”
Wine Travels
Fast-forward 10 years or so and COVID threw all our lives upside down. My career as a teacher-come-freelance musician was devastated but I was lucky enough, along with my partner Will, to land a bargain holiday to Santorini in August 2020. This was a trip of a lifetime in so many ways but was a complete inspiration in my approach to wine. The hotel ran a free wine tasting session ran by the Maître d’ Irini, a sommelier from Crete. We tried 5 wines from the island and all were outstanding, especially in the way they reflected the terroir of the land. From this moment I became hooked; never before had I considered this a factor in how wine tastes. It was during this trip I decided to pursue some kind of wine qualification, secretly thinking that such decisions made on sun-soaked holidays never actually happen.
Wine Study
With COVID dragging on for some much longer than any of us thought, I made good on my holiday pledge and studied for the WSET Level 2 in wines, passing the exam with Merit in March 2021. After that, I feared losing the study momentum I had gained so immediately enrolled on the Level 3 course, passing the exam with Merit in April 2023.
And now I’m excited to be starting my WSET Diploma in September 2024. I hope to build my knowledge and skills with wine through my tasting events, blog regional wine guide here on my website.
Cheers, and thank you for visiting my website today.
