WSET Wine & Spirit Course Educator

My wine career began with a year abroad at Bordeaux University where I wrote my dissertation on the ‘Terroir’ of the Médoc region. My first job as a Cellar Door Host for the prestigious Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande helped me appreciate fine wine. This was followed by several years working in wine tourism, taking clients to award-winning wine estates across Europe and the New World. I then became a Drinks Consultant for a number of award-winning independent hotels and restaurants across the South West of England, including my sister’s restaurant Rendezvous Wine Bar in Exeter. 

Since 2011, I am a certified WSET Wine & Spirits Educator for the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, teaching wine and spirits qualifications to enthusiasts and professionals working in hospitality and those wishing to pursue a career in the wine trade. I love sharing my extensive knowledge of wines and inspiring my students to take their interest to the next level via classroom courses or online learning.

I worked as Head Sommelier at the then 2* Michelin starred Gidleigh Park Hotel on Dartmoor, managing one of the UK’s most extensive wine cellars with over 800 wines and 52 page wine list and selecting pairings for the ten-course taster menu. This top-end wine service at a high profile Relais & Chateaux hotel was invaluable experience and led me to become a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers.

I am a Wine Judge and Panel Chair for numerous wine competitions including the IWSC, IWC and WineGB. I am an ambassador for English wine producers and an avid supporter of sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture. I specialise in cool climate wines.

As a member of the Association of Wine Educators, I also tutor the Chefs Academy’s Culinary Diploma students at Ashburton Cookery School. I have worked with several renowned chefs pairing wines to their fantastic menus and organising epicurean evenings with guest-speaker winemakers. I am also a wine educator for the South West Wine School in Devon.

I recently became a Certified Port Educator with the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto. As a CPE, I am keen to share my new wealth of knowledge on Fortified Port Wines.  I am available to host talks about the fascinating Douro Region and hold a variety of Port Tastings. And I have recently completed formal Champagne Training via the Comité de Champagne.

My Drinks Writing has included drinks columns for regional press including Devon Life magazine. I enjoy writing about local and international wines, beers, ciders, spirits, and soft-drinks. I also write tasting notes and wine descriptions for a number of award-winning wine producers in the South West of England, including Furleigh Estate in Dorset. 

I enjoy being a Wine Host for private and corporate wine tasting events, both in person and online virtual tastings. I regularly host wine tastings and drinks seminars at various food and drinks festivals, including Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, Dartmouth Food Festival and the Wine Festival Winchester.