15 years with Averys of Bristol provided Matthew's wine trade apprenticeship and saw him progress from van driver to Fine Wine Manager with a position on the leadership team. During this time, and under the mentorship of the late John Avery MW, Matthew completed the WSET qualifications and participated in the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in Australia. With the encouragement of John Avery, and prompted by Len Evans, he enrolled in the MW programme in 2007, joining the Institute of Masters of Wine 6 years later in 2013.

From his home in south west England, Matthew now works for Vinum Fine Wines as Group Director of Fine Wines, across offices in Singapore, London and Taipei. He manages relationships with producers for whom Vinum is the exclusive importer, and travels regularly to both European wine regions and Singapore. During trips to Asia, Matthew hosts wine events in Singapore and the wider south east Asia region including Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Matthew's professional wine specialisms lie in the classic regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. He has been a member of the Southwold tasting group for over a decade and also attends the annual Burgfest tastings.

Current employer: Vinum Fine Wines

Primary area(s) of work: Trade

Industry sector(s): Marketing, Sales, Distribution, Agency/Importer, Buying

Wine styles: Fine and rare wines, Champagne, Still white, Still red, Still wines

Wine region expertise: Australia, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone, Champagne, Italy, Piedmont, Tuscany, Tasmania, California

Market expertise: Europe, Asia, United Kingdom, South East Asia, France, Italy

Specialisms: Marketing wine, Investment strategies, Supplier/customer relationships, Importation, Distribution, Direct to consumer, Independent retail, Wine judging