Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
I actually grew up on a vineyard. My dad took over his grandparents’ vines in the mid-1980s and has been making natural wine since the early 2000s. However, it was only in my early 20s, when I moved to London to work at Terroirs – the sorely missed wine bar and restaurant – that I really got into wine.
Describe your wine list at Bavette
At Bavette, we focus on French wines from small independent winemakers working with organic or biodynamic principles. We have a few well-known appellations, as well as wines from underrated regions and grape varieties. We also have about 10 wines from my family vineyard in Anjou in the Loire.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
I have made quite a few of the classic mistakes during my 14 years in the industry: breaking a bottle of expensive rosé Champagne in the cellar as a commis sommelier, ordering the wrong wines from suppliers, pouring wine into the wrong glass, charging guests for the wrong wines, smashing a wine glass on a table...
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
Brawn, The Naughty Piglets and L’Enclume.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Winemakers who work hard to preserve their terroirs and the environment, working without chemicals and using only traditional techniques despite ongoing climatic and economic difficulties.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
An oxidative Chardonnay made with grapes from Somerset and vinified in Wales: TAM from Cowboys Don’t Have Curls by Dave Morris and George Price.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Probably mine: fresh, mineral and crisp for white wine; juicy, fruity and glouglou for red.
What’s the best-value wine on your list at the moment?
It must be Cuvée Bavette, which is my dad’s wine that he made for the restaurant in 2023. A funky Cabernet Franc made with semi-carbonic maceration for £39. We imported 800 bottles, which we store in the cellar underneath Bavette. There are only 200 left.
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
Vin Jaune with aged Comté.
Old World or New World?
100% Old World.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
Warm red wine. I know it is sometimes hard to find places to store wine in a restaurant, but when I see red wine stored on top shelves near an open kitchen, I ask for an ice bucket if I order red.
Who is your favourite producer right now?
Antonio Gismondi, who produces wine in Campania. He has a tiny vineyard, with vines planted between 400m and 700m above sea level. He produces a great range of orange wines using indigenous grape varieties, as well as a couple of reds made with Sangiovese.
As a sommelier, what question do you get asked most by customers?
“Is this white wine dry?” The answer is yes for 99% of the wine on our list.
Which wine-producing region or country is underrated at the moment – and why?
I would say the Ardèche, a small region in the west of the Rhône Valley. It has no official wine appellation, but produces some delicious artisanal wines from a good range of grape varieties, including Syrah, Carignan, Chardonnay and Viognier.
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 rude not to say one of my dad’s wines. A 2007 Chardonnay from Anjou with a touch of oxidation. I am pretty sure there is none left, but who knows – there may be a random bottle somewhere.