I used to believe I hated wine. To me, wine was just sour-tasting grape squash that my parents inexplicably chose to drink in the name of 'health'. Instead, my choice of alcohol, when I was old enough, was beer, whiskey, and plenty of cider. I'll admit it’s a rather stereotypical drink for someone born and bred in Somerset, but coming of age in the heart of cider country meant I was spoiled by the best that apples had to offer. It wasn't until I actually took a job in the drinks industry and began trying a range of wines that I realized I didn't hate wine; I hated bad wine. The cheap plonk my parents were happy to drink when I was younger might not have been a good introduction to the subject.

The start of my career in the drinks industry was in a shop called Malvern Cellar. It sold the best of local English beverages. We had hundreds of wines, beers, spirits and ciders. It was here that I studied at the Beer & Cider Academy to become a pommelier (cider expert).

It was at Malvern Cellar where I was discovered by a senior sommelier who worked at Harvey Nichols in London. He found me a position at HN's wine shop, where I had a great introduction to the world of fine wine. I also learnt about the market of expensive drinks that rich people buy just to show off how wealthy they are.

As much as I enjoyed this job, the cost of living in London was just too high, so I returned to Worcester to begin my current role at Bottles Wine Bar.

As of writing this, I work at Bottles as the store supervisor and host of weekly wine tastings. The best part of my job is learning about wines and sharing that information with other interested wine enthusiasts. This is why I created Wine Smeller. Alongside it being a hilarious name my brother came up with, I want to share my passion for wine with as many people as I can. If just one person reads this blog and enjoys a bottle of wine that I have suggested, this whole exercise of writing into the digital void will all be worth it.

Thanks for stopping by,

The Wine Smeller.