My career in the wine industry really began when I used my chemistry degree to study Oenology as a post graduate at Roseworthy University in Australia. It was there that I developed a real passion for the process of creating and developing wines. I passed the Master of Wine in 2011. I am now working as a consultant having spent the last 8 years as the Sourcing and Supply Director at Off-Piste Wines. I have worked with a huge number of suppliers around the world in product development and business strategy and always use my knowledge and experience to protect quality from the process of picking the grapes right through to when a customer opens a bottle. I am a Panel Chair judge at the International Wine Challenge competition and sit on several wine trade committees. Prior to joining Off-Piste I was responsible for all the own label Beers, Wines and Spirits at Sainsbury's. During my time there I developed the ?House? range of wines and re-established the Taste the difference level from around the world. I have also worked for Tesco in-house. I started winemaking as a flying winemaker covering vintages in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres including Australia, California, Chile, France and Italy.

Primary area(s) of work: Wine production, Trade, Strategy

Industry sector(s): Winemaking, QA/QC, Business owner, Off trade, Buying, Consultant, Wine judge

Wine styles: Sparkling wine, Cremant, Still white, Still red, Still rosé, Still wines

Wine region expertise: Abruzzo, Australia, Casblanca Valley, Chile, Colchagua Valley, Greece, Hawke's Bay, Limari Valley, Lombardy, Marche, Marlborough, Mendoza, New South Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, South Australia, USA, Victoria, Western Australia, Western Cape, South America, France, Bordeaux, Loire, Champagne, South-West France, UK, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Galicia, Navarra, Spain, Priorat, Valencia, Italy, Piedmont, Veneto/Friuli, Tuscany, Sicily, California, Hungary, Douro, Provence, England

Market expertise: Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia, North America, United Kingdom, China, Scandinavia, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Africa

Specialisms: Acquisition of vineyards, Harvesting of grapes, Processing of grapes, Fermentation, Stabilisation and clarification, Production of sparkling wines, Economics of wine production, Wine styling, Elevage / maturation, Blending, Preparation of finished wine for bottling, Packing and labelling, Quality assurance and control, Bulk shipment, Bottling, Sensory evaluation , Supplier/customer relationships, Identifying and meeting consumer demand, Routes to market, Importation, Supermarket and multiple retail, Wine labels, Wine laws and regulations, Branding, Wine judging