Tell us about the moment you first became interested in wine
When I was eight years old I went shopping with my mum and liked the look of a bottle of rosé. After much begging, I convinced her to not only to buy it but to also let me have a sip of the wine on New Year’s Day. I found it tart and bitter and it didn’t taste like the luscious peachy juice in my imagination. I still remember how disappointed I was. But eventually I came round to it. I was a casual wine drinker until 2018 when I paused my legal career and studied wine at Le Cordon Bleu London with Master Sommelier Matthieu Longuère.
Describe your wine list at CORD
I offer some iconic names and super-premium bottles to those who are seeking classic benchmarks. Meanwhile, I make sure that more price-conscious guests also have some good quality options exceeding their expectation to enjoy. Classic wines from Bordeaux, Tuscany and Rioja are served alongside lesser-known varieties such as Xynesteri from Cyprus and less-trodden wine regions including China, Canada and Japan.
Over the course of your career, have you had any wine-related disasters?
After my studies at Le Cordon Bleu London, I completed a three-month sommelier internship at The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado, which is renowned for its extraordinary wine program and for having developed 13 Master Sommeliers to date. One evening, during a special food and wine pairing event hosted by a highly regarded chef, I was too busy (or too inexperienced) to taste a newly opened bottle before service and topped up the glass of a particularly demanding guest. Sure enough, the wine was corked.
Name your top three restaurant wine lists
The 10 Cases, Noble Rot and Mountain, all in London.
Who do you most respect in the wine world?
Matthieu Longuère, MS, my first wine instructor, mentor and best friend in the wine industry. Anyone who has met him will agree that he is an enthusiastic and humble walking encyclopaedia of wine who never stops learning and exploring.
What’s the most interesting wine you’ve come across recently?
I have just returned from a week of judging in Cyprus. I was already a fan of Cypriot wine before the competition, but it was fascinating to dive deeper, taste broadly and discuss wines with judges from around the world.
What are the three most overused tasting notes?
Minerality, fruity and elegant. Perhaps we could elaborate and be a bit more specific?
What’s the best value wine on your list at the moment?
2012 Vin Liastos from Monemvasia Winery in Tsimbidi, Greece: how often do you get the chance to have an incredibly complex and luscious taste of a medieval Mediterranean treat?
What is your ultimate food and drink match?
A large platter of fish and seafood slightly dusted in flour and flash-fried with a good squeeze of lemon and plenty of Blanc de Blancs champagne.
Old World or New World?
I don’t have a preference per se as it depends entirely on the pairing dish, the occasion and the company. Indeed, the difference between the Old World and the New World has become increasingly blurred. As long as it is a well-made wine, I am very easy-going.
What is your pet hate when it comes to wine service in other restaurants?
A lack of honesty with service and wine flaws. I was once dining alone in an iconic seafood restaurant in London and was given a glass of super-premium English sparkling wine which was noticeably flat. When I politely requested for a fresh glass, the sommelier on duty tried very hard to persuade me to accept it, using “specific style”, “long bottle aging” and “silky bubbles” as excuses. Eventually, I felt obligated to mention that I also work in the wine trade and had tried the same wine at a professional tasting a few days earlier. Guests are not always right, and neither are we.
As a head sommelier, what question do you most get asked by customers?
“What’s your favourite wine?” Again, the world of wine is endless, and I must keep on tasting and exploring. Maybe I will have an answer on the date I die?
Which wine producing region or country is underrated at the moment?
Greece. It is a country with ancient pedigree, extraordinary indigenous grape diversity, dramatic terroir, strong value, and incredible food pairing potentials. Yet it still suffers from low international visibility and outdated perceptions from decades ago. I am very happy to see more Greek wine tastings and Greek wines in retailers in London which give trade professionals and consumers opportunities to taste and explore.
It’s your last meal and you can have a bottle of any wine in the world. What is it and why?
A bottle of the oldest Boal Madeira I could possibly source. It would offer immense complexity to savour while being almost guaranteed to remain in sound condition compared with non-fortified wines of similar age. Fortified wines also tend to be drunk more slowly, so it would (hopefully) comfortably last the meal. Plus, I think I would deserve a sweet ending in life.