Oh no! Not another wine expert!
My wine story goes back a long way. Growing up as the young David McCarthy I fortunately – or unfortunately – had a father who liked good quality wines and on a Sunday us children were allowed to taste some wine with lunch.
David McCarthy
Not the usual 70’s Black Tower it was Barolo or Nuits-Saint-Georges for us, ruined (or educated) for life. Then onto the 80’s and a first trip to the Alps to learn to ski. I was told by my friend and stand-in ski instructor that an essential part of the journey would be an overnight stop near Chablis and a visit to a cellar under a winemakers house.
We arrived at a house in the village of Chichée to be greeted by Roland Jacquinot who lifted the hatch to the cellar. Below ground we sat around a small table and tasted his wine. Wow I thought, this is the way to buy wine! I was hooked. On agreeing the order and loading up we were on our way.
Over the years I returned many times, introducing Jaynie my wife and friends to the place where I fell in love with wine. Some years later Roland passed away then, so sadly, his daughter Agnes who was the same age as me. She always refused to speak to me in English and to this day my French is extremely poor but I try.
Life changed in 2015 and for the better. With the backing of my wife I decided to pick up the glass and try to make an interest into something much more. The bright lights of Bermondsey beckoned in the shape of WSET.
Starting at level one, I really didn’t want to make a complete fool out of myself by going in at two. Again, I was hooked, levels one, then two passed and onto three. I thoroughly recommend these courses to any wine consumer. During level three I decided to start importing from some of the growers that I had met. Surely it can’t be that be that hard. How wrong I was! Thankfully Vincent, a French Chevalier living in London, helped immensely sharing the all-important workings of the import system.
Quality Control Officer
The self-proclaimed Quality Control officer (the Wife) came with me to meet a Champagne producer who I had found while researching. Accompanied by two friends we spent the day and evening with HATT et SÖNER and the crazy gang of Swedish Champagne lovers.
Jaynie and I returned for the harvest early in September for another crazy experience. After dinner, Kristofer – the founder of the Champagne House, spoke about the United Kingdom and if I would help and after several months of talking I agreed.
Jaynie also agreed to get involved in the events planned around the group visits to the vineyards in Spring and at harvest time. Lunches in the vineyard with an acoustic guitarist and a violinist from the Paris opera, flowers by the good lady and then the most magical black-tie dinners in a 12th Century Abbey. WOW!
During all the Champagne festivities I continued to import and represent the other growers that I had found and was always on the lookout for the right wine and the people behind the label. I had the great fortune to have Mr Ronan Sayburn agree to meet me early in 2018. We met at the wonderful 67 Pall Mall in St James’s.
Ronan liked what he tasted and placed an order. The wines that I import have been stocked ever since that day which I am very proud of; it is an endorsement of my taste and choices, however, more importantly to me, is the recognition of the hard work of the winemakers that I import from.
In the vast majority of cases they all have generations of family behind them who laid the foundations for future generations.
This page is a little bit about me. The rest of the website is all about the people who grow the grapes and make the fantastic wines. I raise my glass to them and their dedication...
Cheers, Santé, Salute, Salud, Prost, Saúde, Yamas....