Despite my hometown, Verona, being known for some of the best Italian wines, my passion for wine started relatively late. After 5 years in Milan studying BA Economics and doing my MSc in Insurance, I moved to London right away and started working as a credit analyst covering the European banking sector. It was hectic yet exciting and I am truly grateful for the time I spent there and the people I got to meet. However, I knew it was something I couldn't do for the rest of my life as I began to realise my true passion lay somewhere else.
While still in banking, I attended the WSET as something fun to do on Tuesday evenings rather than as a plan B, but, in reality, it was like opening Pandora's box. I allowed myself a “third-of-a-life” crisis: left my investment banking job and enrolled in the Wine Diploma at Le Cordon Bleu in London. I was lucky enough to be able to start working in wine right away, first in a wine consultancy start-up, then for Nyetimber and finally for Harvey Nichols.
Being part of the buying team here is an absolute dream. The senior wine buyer has been incredibly supportive and under his guidance I was able to put a small mark on the regions that I am mostly passionate about: Champagne and sparkling wine, England, Italy and what we call "rest of the world" – lesser known regions with plenty of autochthonous (and often unpronounceable!) grape varieties but with bags of character and a winemaking industry steeped in history! As we strive to give our Harvey Nichols customers the best and most diverse selection possible, I love being in a position where I can also give exposure to small wineries and hopefully help them to grow and reach the recognition they deserve.
