Rich is our very own in-house Somm, having already completed his Level 1 and 2 exams with the Guild of Master Sommeliers, this man knows his food and wine! As well as heading up the Level 1 WSET programme at YWS, Rich also finds time to be head bartender at our local branch of Gusto, act as a consultant bar manager in a number of the region's restaurants, and is studying for his WSET L4 Diploma.
Here is a bit more about Rich, in his own words...
What's your favourite midweek wine? "I think it would have to be a Beaujolais. Its approachable, easy to get your hands on, great value, it doesn’t fatigue my palate and it will likely go with anything I’m cooking for dinner. Shout out to the roast chicken and the Beauj!"
Most memorable wine drinking moment? "A few stick in my mind: a private dinner with Liberty Wines at Wreckfish in Liverpool where we drank some insane Pieropan La Rocca Soave Classico 2005 and vertical tasting of Vigna Garzon Amarone from 2010-2015. They lavished us that night and still can’t lay my hands on that 2005! Of course my first trip to Chablis with the Wine School would be up there. Sampling William Fevre 2012 Vaulorent, I still have dreams about it!"
What's your favourite 'non-wine' drink? "Nothing says 'welcome home, you’ve worked hard, you deserve this', more than an ice cold beer at the end of a shift. I could drink refreshing Pilsners everyday. Braybrooke, with your delightful citrusy zing, get in my face!"
If you were a grape variety what would you be? "I would almost certainly be Susumaniello. Though I’m not literally a ‘little donkey’, I can be very stubborn and difficult to manage (ask my work colleagues!)."
What's your favourite course or tasting to teach at the Wine School? "Without a doubt I enjoy teaching WSET. Seeing people light up, engage, and start thinking about wine in a whole new way always makes me happy! And what’s not to love about exam drinking...?!
