From a young age, I was immersed in the restaurant industry through my parents’ businesses, gaining hands-on experience in all areas of operations. Over the past decade, I have built a career in hospitality, customer service, and retail management, working as a manager in several restaurants and a specialist wine shop. My go-to wine regions are South Africa and France, particularly Burgundy and the Rhône Valley. I’m drawn to South Africa for its diverse range of styles and exceptional value for money. In contrast, France, especially Burgundy and the Rhône, appeals to me for its deep-rooted winemaking traditions and the rigour of its classification systems which often command more premium pricing. Regardless of where the wines come from, it’s clear that every bottle has provenance, and everyone has a fascinating story, so let’s raise a glass and share them together!

I grew up in the picturesque province of Verona, just a cork’s pop away from the hills of Soave, I was quite literally surrounded by vineyards from the start. My early years were spent working with local wineries, learning the craft (and occasionally getting grape-stained hands). In 2014, after a brief London detour, I swapped rolling hills for rain and moved to Manchester. Here, I immersed myself in the world of hospitality before taking the leap into wine full-time. I spent five years with a well-established wine company, then took on the role of GM and wine buyer for a buzzing natural wine shop and bar. While Italian wines will always have my heart, it’s sparkling wines that truly make it skip a beat - Champagne, Franciacorta, English sparkling, you name it. If it pops, I’m probably pouring it. I believe wine should be fun, approachable, and always worthy of a toast. Speaking of which… cheers!

It’s not that I have a particularly broad knowledge of wine, or that I’m a notably talented chef…I just know that every good wine has a great story, and that’s how it all started for me many years ago. If a journey through wine is punctuated by moments of stunning flavour, then those moments are stretched out by stories of passion, experiences, and challenges which – I feel – elevate the wine, and map out my own journey of living for the moment, and what those moments were. Having lived and worked in a number of places around the world, the stories have often translated into decisions (whether right or wrong) which have led to the next chapter in my life of food and drink. My journey with Garry and Henry started after moving to Manchester in 2021. I was working as a chef and met them by chance when looking for a new challenge, and decided to leave that job to work with them in the wine trade. Since then, our story has developed into what it is today, and whereas for many years I could not even begin to answer the question of where I’d be in five years, now it couldn’t be clearer. No wine is too special for your special occasion, so stop overthinking and just get it open, and enjoy the moment. You might want some food with it too…so let’s talk.