Miguel

Service Description

I have now Growing up in a traditional Latin family in Portugal, where wine was always part of every meal, helped me develop a great enthusiasm about the world of wine. The day I opened a bottle of Chateau Lynch Bages 1982 for our Christmas lunch, everything changed and I had my epiphany - I had to learn more about wines and I figured working in the trade would be the best option going forward. It was easy to get a job at first as my parents ran a small wine distribution business and I started by controlling the sales of our wines in supermarkets (and stocking up shelves!) and started dedicating more and more of my time to the business and to discovering new wines. After 4 years of hard work, my thirst for knowledge and increasing passion for the product made me leave the nest and fly to London for the first time where I landed a job in a well-known chain of Wine Merchants. It was a great learning experience for just under 3 years.been working in the wine trade for over 10 years now, initially in “front of house” roles at restaurants and hotels before becoming a trained sommelier and finding employment in some of the capital’s top eateries. I discovered my love for wine whilst employed at my family’s hotel, in leafy Suffolk. Famed for it’s authentic Malaysian cuisine and extensive wine list, the hotel was a great environment to gain experience pairing wines, liqueurs and Champagnes with the fragrant, spiced cuisine of the Far East. Following this, I undertook training to become a sommelier and upon graduation was employed at a Michelin starred restaurant in Kew, West London. It was at this time that I was truly able to refine my palate and understand the finer points of food and wine matching at the highest level gastronomy. I am also passionate about visiting vineyards and wineries all over the world—from Europe to New Zealand and beyond. This has not only fed my passion for wine, but also given me a better understanding of the influence of climate, soil types, altitude and weather conditions have on the culture of food and wine in a particular region. In terms of my own personal favourites, I have a great love for classic French wines like Bordeaux and Burgundy, Riesling in all its guises, fortified wines from Oporto to Rutherglen and sweet wines from all around the world. If I was asked for one piece of advice to give to someone entering the world of wine and spirits, it would be to keep discovering, keep learning, and always trying new things!