Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
I remember the magic of producing and bottling Prosecco at home in Italy. We’d do it every year on a small scale, just for our own family’s consumption. My father and uncles would handle everything, producing what was a below-average wine—but I so fondly remember the love and attention they put into it every year.
Describe your wine list at Scott’s
The wine list at Scott’s is built around the Scott’s customer, but it also reflects what my team and I enjoy and want to experiment with. I like to describe it not as a list shaped by the sommelier’s ego, but by the demands and preferences of our loyal guests. We’ve just launched our first-ever own-label wine: a Scott’s Chablis with three expressions. Produced by Château du Val de Mercy and imported in partnership with London’s Passione Vino, we’re offering a Petit Chablis, a Chablis, and a Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Jouan. We currently sell around 400 bottles of Chablis a month, so it’s set to become a staple.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
I was young and working as a catering wine waiter at a wedding in a stunning venue on Lake Como. I was serving Champagne during the welcome reception when a guest accidentally bumped my elbow, causing me to drop a whole tray of flutes—all down the neck and back of the groom’s mother.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Hide in London, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Aimo e Nadia in Milan.
Who do you respect most in the wine world?
Alessandro Marchesan (the former wine buyer for Zuma and Roka owner Azumi), who is now consulting for some of the best producers in the world. I’ll always be grateful to him—not only as a mentor but as an incredible friend.
What is the most interesting wine you’ve come across lately?
A Pinot Grigio from the Dolomites, produced by Garlider and distributed by Passione Vino. It has perfect acidity, vibrant aromas of confit pears, a lingering bouquet of sweet spices, and a long Turkish delight flavour on the palate.
What are the most overused tasting notes?
Reduction, buttery, and fruity.
What is the best value wine on your list at the moment?
A Blanc de Noirs Cabernet Franc from Anne-Claude Leflaive, part of the Burgundian Leflaive family. She purchased a property in the Loire Valley and started this project. This wine strikes an incredible balance: it satisfies connoisseurs while also being a total crowd-pleaser.
What is your ultimate food-and-wine match?
This is a question I just can’t answer. Can I just say that every meal should be accompanied by a good glass of wine?
Old World or New World?
Depends if I’m paying the bill or not…
What’s your petty hate when it comes to wine service?
Without a doubt, when someone cuts the foil around the bottleneck and messes it up—it really does my head in. But then again, I am a bit OCD!
Who is your favourite wine producer?
At the moment, I have a thing for Etienne Sauzet (a Burgundy-based producer). I love the intensity of everything he produces—the shape and weight of the bottles, and the precise, clean, elegant packaging.
As a sommelier, what question do you get asked most by customers?
Can you recommend a good value-for-money white Burgundy?
Which wine-producing country is underrated right now?
Definitely South Africa. I know I’ve sidestepped the Old World vs New World question—so this is my answer. South Africa is a magnificent wine-making country. The wines sit perfectly between the old and new worlds, making them consistently high in quality and often unique in flavour.
It’s your last meal and you can have any bottle of wine in the world. What is it and why?
It’s my last meal, so it calls for a celebration—definitely a bottle of Champagne. I’d go for Louis Roederer Cristal Vinothèque 2000: liquid gold in the sexiest bottle ever.
