When did you first become interested in wine?
I’m not sure that there was any one moment. I loved the ritual part of a meal that wine represented when I was younger and remember drinking Shloer with my sisters and pretending to be grown-ups! I learned more and more about wine as I progressed through different restaurants, but it was at The River Café where I realised it could be a full-time job and a more than full-time passion.
Talk through your wine list at Kitchen W8
I try to keep the list concise and well curated with most of the important regions and styles represented. That being said, we are in Kensington and the old world certainly rules in terms of popularity. It’s important to have a new world selection that can add a little interest too.
And you’ve just launched a fine wines by the glass initiative?
Yes. It launched on 9 March and features wines such as Montrachet 1er Cru Champ Canet, Domaine Jean-Marc Boillot; 2016 Meursault Les Tillets, Domaine Antoine Jobard; 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Clos des Papes, Paul Avril & Fils, Rhône; and a 2001 Château Calon Ségur, St Estèphe as well as many more hidden gems. Prices range from £10 to £30 a glass. Our customers definitely stand a good chance of finding their viticultural nirvana without it being too burdensome on the pocket.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
I remember one of my first sommelier shifts at The River Café and a guest ordered our most expensive Amarone. They ordered a second bottle, and it was only when the bill appeared that they told us that it was not what they had ordered. Luckily, I had a very supportive manager and head sommelier to help me out of that pickle!
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
That is such a tough question. I always enjoy looking at other restaurants’ wine lists. The lists at Lorne and Noble Rot are always a joy and I really like the way they manage the list at The 10 Cases.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
There are so many. Hearing people that talk with passion is always inspiring and I remember being completely bowled over by Paolo de Marchi on a visit to Isole e Olena in Chianti.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve ever come across?
Interesting always seems like a polite way to say that you’ve not enjoyed it. Early on in my wine career I picked out a bottle from a local wine shop that I thought would challenge me. It was non-vintage chenin blanc, part madirised, part under flor and part skin-contact. It was certainly interesting…
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Tasting notes are always hard to write. Tasting descriptors inevitably tend towards the generic and more flowery descriptions can often obscure the message.
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
2010 Diana Madeline from Cullen (in Australia).
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Alba White Truffle with Nebbiolo.
Old World or New World?
The whole world!
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
When the wine is kept away from your table. I think it should always be within reach so that you can top yourself up if necessary.
Who is your favourite producer at the moment?
After recently opening a stunning magnum of 2013 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Taupenot Merme, I am reminded of how much I love their wines.
Which wine producing region/country is currently underrated at the moment?
There’s been some great wines coming out of Portugal in the last few years.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
It would be a Barolo or Barbaresco. I absolutely love Maria Teresa Mascarello’s Barolos so if I was fortunate to get my hands on a bottle of Bartolo Mascarello Barolo (made by her late father) then it may well be that.