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 the Diploma awaits! Whilst that is a longer-term project, I hope to build my knowledge and skills with wine through my tasting classes, private events and regional wine guide here on my website.

Cheers, and thank you for visiting my website today.