BL-24 - Flipbook - Page 105
FOOD & DRINK
one of Chile’s great icon wines.
As contemporaries in both age and
experience, we’ve each spent decades
immersed in food and wine. But it’s
only in the past ten years that our
paths have crossed, and evolved into
friendship.
new horizons, and a renewed sense of
connection with the people behind the
wines.
“If there’s one thing I’ve
learned, it’s that the de昀椀ning
characteristic of the wine
business is people.”
Lessons from the Road
(and the Glass)
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s
that the de昀椀ning characteristic of the
wine business is people. Whether
drinking tea with partners in China
or sharing sake in Japan, I’ve found
that warmth and generosity transcend
language and culture.
My 昀椀rst night in Shanghai was a
baptism by 昀椀re (or perhaps by wine).
Jet-lagged and bewildered, I faced
more than 80 guests, each determined
to personally toast me with “Ganbei!”
(bottoms up). I quickly learned that tea
Casa Real, one of Chile’s 昀椀nest red wines
From the Lakes to the
Vineyards
For me, wine wasn’t a calling; it was
an accident. Growing up in England’s
Lake District, it was inevitable
that I’d spend summers working in
hospitality. Those summer jobs turned
into a career, 昀椀rst in restaurants, then
in wine, with one failed attempt at
being a restaurateur along the way. I
thought owning a restaurant would
be straightforward, even glamorous.
I was wrong. I failed spectacularly,
and ever since, I’ve held all successful
restaurateurs in the highest regard.
Over the next 25 years, I worked
across importing, buying, selling,
and hospitality before taking on a
new adventure: becoming Export
Director for one of South America’s
leading wine producers. That shift
brought not only new challenges but
Hotel Casa Real set amongst beautiful gardens
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ceremonies were merely a prelude to
the real meeting over dinner.
Then there was Mr. Ma from
Kunming, a diminutive man with a
giant spirit. Over endless hot pot and
bottles of 昀椀ne wine, we discovered
we shared not only a Chinese zodiac
sign — the Water Rabbit — but also
wives born in the same month. Thirtysix hours later, we concluded our
marathon lunch, two men united by
good humour and too much Cabernet.
Travelling through Asia also led
to some unexpected fame. Across
Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea, I was
often mistaken for Boris Johnson
— especially during his tenure as
Mayor of London, Foreign Secretary,
and Prime Minister. Aside from
the laughter of colleagues (and the
occasional questionable photo), I owe
the former PM a quiet thankyou: his
notoriety opened a few doors, and
perhaps even sold a few cases of
Chilean wine.
