My career in wine, like all aspects of my life, was never part of a masterplan. It was more a matter of luck and good timing.
My entrée into the wine trade came when I joined Seagram to take on the role of brand manager for a portfolio of champagnes and the company paid for me to take The Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) Higher Certificate and Diploma which opened up the world of wine-making and wine-tasting for me.
Once I had these qualifications, I decided to leave the corporate world and take my chances as a freelance wine consultant working from home. In between the marketing and PR work, I studied for the prestigious Master of Wine exam and travelled to wine-producing countries to improve my practical knowledge. I passed the Master of Wine at the first attempt in 1992.
These days, I still do the occasional tasting for clients and these serve to remind me that I haven’t forgotten all I once learned. And that I will probably never lose my taste for champagne.
