I have always had a passion for working in the drinks industry where I have spent almost 30 years in various guises. The opportunity to join Wine Importers was one I jumped at. To make a difference in a quality-focused, family-owned company, where the emphasis on trust, quality, and close-knit culture reflects exactly what I value in a workplace.

In my role heading up Finance & Operations I have interactions with colleagues, customers & suppliers alike and I enjoy dealing with the people in all these areas. We are all very fortunate to work in an industry where we are involved in selling products that are indulged and enjoyed in great settings.

I love wine in my own time too. From a crisp, tropical glass of South African Chenin to big juicy reds like Amarone, I enjoy the variety and range. I was inspired recently tasting a white Negroamaro, a first for me!

I enjoy playing the fine Scottish sports of curling and golf, and am an avid rugby spectator!

I have spent my working life in pursuit of the finest of alcoholic libations. Early inspiration was gained from the grain. As well as selling whisky from Scotland to New Zealand, I set up my own company hosting boisterously educational whisky tastings.

Whisky alone cannot sustain man, so I broadened my horizons to wine. Two vintages making wine in the Barossa fermented the desire for the wine trade and I haven’t looked back. Holding various roles over 20 years, I am now the buyer for Wine Importers. I aim to avoid bankrupting the company by not buying every single esoteric and exotic wine I taste; but I do buy most of them.

The wine trade can be complicated with supply chains and logistics; I enjoy the challenges of the business and hope that Wine Importers make it simple for our customers to focus on the best part: tasting great wines.

It is impossible for me to choose a favourite wine: the moment and setting in which it is served is often more telling than the liquid itself. That said, if you give me a glass of sherry I will be very happy.

I have been in the wine industry for over 40 years. Working my way through every aspect of the business including owning my own company. I am aware of what it takes in this sometimes complicated industry. I can share my experience and deliver what’s required for my customers.

I have had a passion for wine since my first day in the warehouse. I studied hard and learnt so much from some of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in the industry. In turn, I now enjoy sharing my knowledge by training staff members about wine, taking the fear factor out of it and making it fun. I am delighted to have been at Wine Importers for well over a decade now. Being a specialist, we live and breathe wine and offer the best advice and support.

I have been lucky enough to stand in some of the great vineyards of the world and still get the same buzz from when I first started.

In my spare time I enjoy most sports, particularly rugby. I played for Edinburgh Wanderers for several years and appreciate that teamwork is everything.

Having grown up in and around the hospitality scene in Glasgow, my life has been influenced by food, and drink since I was wee.

I began my working life in kitchens as a Kitchen Porter and progressed to frying chips on a Saturday lunchtime ‘bar snacks’ operation before formalising my education post school. Studying took me to England, Canada, Switzerland and home to Scotland to learn my trade before I widened my experience in Thailand and Australia. 20 years in the on-trade then followed, working in a variety of hotels, bars and restaurants. One of my proudest moments was to be elected as President of the 49 Wine and Spirit Club of Scotland.

Almost 10 years ago I jumped the fence to join the Team at Wine Importers where my previous roles gave me a unique insight into the challenges faced by the hospitality trade when purchasing and selling quality wines. I see my role with Wine Importers as giving me the chance to share my love of good wines and food with our customers and many lifelong friendships have been made over a glass or two of great wine.

Travel definitely broadens the mind and the chance to visit a wide variety of countries has been a brilliant excuse to try different wines from around the world. When away I’m always try to fit in a visit to passing vineyard, distillery or brewery. When I am away from work I relax with my wife, son and dog or stress by watching Scotland play football around the World!

People like to say that they ‘fell into’ the wine trade but I actively pursued it. Growing up in a French-speaking household near Belfast, wine was often a topic of discussion as my French father continued his never-ending search for some good quality, well-priced bottles that had ‘made it’ across the water (thankfully things have changed since the 90s) and I have fond memories of going out on the hunt for some Beaujolais Nouveau that third Thursday in November. I will never forget the delight when we managed to find some in the local Tesco!

I spent my summers immersed in French language and culture at my grandparents’ home in rural central Loire where the local wine is AOC Quincy, a fresh and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc made not too far from Sancerre.

My year abroad at university was in Angers, a very different part of the Loire where I fell in love with Cabernet Franc which is still to this day my favourite red grape. My brother recently moved to the Charentes region, and through this I began to visit Bordeaux where I am continuously blown away by the amazing wine culture of this city and the surrounding areas. There is nothing better than visiting a vineyard and learning first-hand about the wine from the producer themselves. I’m still working my way through other regions in France and had the fantastic opportunity to visit the winelands in the Western Cape and the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon in the past.

Year abroad complete, I went straight to my local wine shop to ask for (demand) a job and worked part time while finishing my degree. Soon after I did the WSET Level 3 course before completing my WSET Diploma in 2022.

Finally, I undertook the WSET Educator Training Programme in 2023 which has allowed me the immense privilege of teaching fantastic groups of hospitality staff which is one of my favourite parts of my job, along with the variety of great people I get to work with on a daily basis in this ever-changing trade. Out of work I enjoy cooking, seeing friends and spending time at the seaside with my son and husband.

Having grown up in a household where the wine of choice was the infamous Black Tower, my journey in wine didn’t start until after I had left University and even then, was very much secondary to my passion for cooking and good food. My lightbulb moment came after a work placement in a 5 star hotel in America. My passion for wine snowballed during my first ‘proper’ wine job working for Oddbins back in the early 2000s.

Fast forward 20 years I have gained great experience and my WSET diploma. I still feel extremely privileged to be a part of the wine world, working with passionate individuals who, despite all the recent (and ongoing) challenges within hospitality, go above and beyond every day to deliver exceptional food and service.

Hailing from Aberdeen originally, I grew up in the small Morayshire town of Forres. Now a resident of Glasgow for the past 20 years I get the best of both worlds travelling around some stunning parts of the Highlands and the North East for Wine Importers during the week and returning to a vibrant city at the weekends. Although now having a young daughter, my social life has been curtailed somewhat – I have to resort to enjoying a nice glass of wine at home more often!

My passion for wine ignited during my seven years in hospitality. An unforgettable experience tasting a Chablis against a Meursault and discovering how one grape variety can taste so different hooked me instantly.

After working in restaurants and completing my WSET Level 1 and 2, I joined Majestic Wine. Over the next 11 years, I completed WSET Level 3 and honed my skills in recommending wines that customers would love.

Managing several stores across Scotland provided me with invaluable experience in both retail and on-trade commercial environments. I am fortunate to have visited wineries in Mendoza and Rioja amongst other places. However, my dream is to visit South Africa and experience the magic of the Cape, one of my favourite wine regions. The wine trade is a fantastic place to work. I particularly enjoy seeing the look of surprise followed by a big smile when someone tastes a wine I recommended, especially if it's something they've never tried before. Working with passionate, like-minded individuals and engaging in lively discussions about different wine styles makes the experience even more rewarding.

I don’t have a single favourite when it comes to wines—my preferences are as varied as my eclectic Spotify playlist. From big, full-bodied reds like Ripasso and Amarone to a delightful glass of Beaujolais Morgon, I enjoy a wide range. I love pairing Albariño with a seafood grill and savouring Viognier from the south of France, especially a Condrieu. On a hot summer day, a chilled glass of Pouilly-Fumé is my go-to.

Many moons ago I was offered the opportunity to pick up a few shifts at a little basement wine shop, where I developed an appreciation for all things wine and eventually became the shop manager. After a brief sojourn out of the trade doing something far too sensible for my liking, I had the opportunity to re-join the trade with Wine Importers where I put to use both my graphic design skills and wine knowledge on a daily basis.

The wine trade seems to attract people with a certain joie de vivre, and it is these people that make the wine trade such a pleasure to work in. Add to this the fact that the world of wine is constantly evolving, meaning there is always something new to learn.

If I had to pick one favourite region it would be the Southern Rhône. Its rustic, village level reds were amongst the first wines I got into when I started in the trade, and its rich floral whites never fail to delight me. I am also a big Sherry fan and have had the pleasure of spending an afternoon in a Jerez tavern with my partner, watching live flamenco whilst drinking Amontillado poured straight from the barrel.

In my life I love problem solving and my motto is ‘there’s always a way’. My job is quite multifunctional for our wine business and the variety of areas I manage keeps me on my toes. From credit control to HR and even controlling the flow of orders and deliveries each day can be challenging, but also ultimately very rewarding.

Achieving high customer satisfaction is crucial as it can result in customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and repeat business.

I love the wines from Marlborough in New Zealand – not just because I once shared a Jacuzzi with the All Blacks!

I was looking for a change of scenery after working for a charity for a number of years and Wine Importers looked like a good fit for me. I now work surrounded by lovely bottles of wine and happy people, what more can I say.

Wine was not previously my drink of choice, but since starting work with Wine Importers I have been introduced to the lovely Routas Rosé, with its delightful watermelon, and strawberry fruit and also the beautiful fruity and light white wines of France, so I may become a convert to wine drinking!

Having been in the banking industry, a switch to the world of wine for me seemed much more interesting. I have been with the company over ten years now and I enjoy the constant learning that the job offers. Dealing with stock and logistics is a challenging role, often having to keep a lot of balls in the air. I enjoy working as a team to manage this and deliver the best service we can to our customers.