Su is the wine 'Mum' of the gang: having started her wine journey with Oddbins in 1997, she's seen more trends and fads come and go than the rest of us can imagine. Whilst Su did take a bit of a wine sabbatical to go and manage a craft brewery in Newcastle, she has now returned to the nest to oversee the day-to-day operations of YWS. Known to us as the lover of all things classic (especially Bordeaux!), she is known to the wider Wine School community as our in-house chef! Su honed her classical tastes whilst working as a chef at The Berkeley, Knightsbridge and today we benefit from her immense knowledge and skills in the kitchen department.
Want to hear a little more about the tastes of our resident foodie?
What's your favourite midweek wine? "Wednesday night wine should be easy-drinking and satisfying; I'll save the Puligny Montrachet for Friday! I usually turn to something white, gently aromatic, but reassuringly good. Top of the list would be Pinot Blanc, Albarino, perhaps a cheeky Gavi di Gavi or, if the mood takes, a Soave usually hits the spot."
Most memorable wine-drinking moment? "An inpromtu Champagne tasting session in my kitchen with friends one Sunday morning back in January of 2007. Everything was divine, but then the jaw-dropping pair of Dom Perignon and Bollinger VV Cuvee Francais both from 1990 came out. Watching Laura's mind get quite literally blown was quite a sight!"
What's your favourite 'non-wine' drink? "Tea!! Always... from China to India, white tea to black tea.... my day doesn't start without it!!"
If you were a grape variety what would you be? "Pinot Meunier - I am bright and bubbly, perhaps a little mysterious and illusive, I think of myself as a great team player rather than the star turn, but if I have a fault, perhaps I am prone to a little flabbiness ;-)"
Which YWS course do you look forward to most? "Naturally it's all of the tastings which involve food! Especially if I get to cook... catering for some of the Saturday Masterclasses was stressful but so immensely rewarding. Now we have the recipe cards as part of our online courses it's a chance to feel even more involved with the tasting experience. I love to get my cook on and experiment with different food and wine pairings."
