A modern languages graduate, Matthew qualified as a solicitor with a global law firm before leaving legal practice to pursue his interest in food and wine. In 2008, he retrained as a chef in London before starting his wine career with UK merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd where he lectured as a wine school tutor. After writing content for jancisrobinson.com and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), he joined WSET full-time in 2014, leading the team responsible for the design and award of WSET qualifications in wines, spirits and sake globally. He became a Master of Wine in 2016, having been awarded the IMW Lallemand Scholarship and the AXA Millésimes Noval Award for his research paper on vintage madeira. Having lived and worked in Madrid, Lisbon and São Paulo, Matthew is particularly interested in the food and wine culture of Spain, Portugal and South America and uses every opportunity to travel to these regions.

Primary area(s) of work: Communication

Industry sector(s): Academic, Consultant, Educator, ESG, Events, International trade, PR, Project management, Wine authentication, Wine business strategy, Wine judge

Wine styles: Fine and rare wines, Fortified wines, Madeira, Port, Sherry

Wine region expertise: Galicia, Jerez, Navarra, Portugal, Priorat, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Spain, Valencia

Market expertise: Europe, Portugal, South America, Spain

Specialisms: Legal compliance on authorised packaging and labelling, ESG, Financial and commercial structures, Food and wine pairing, History of wine, Investment strategies, Restaurant wines, Wine labels, Wine laws and regulations, Wine judging