Unfiltered
Unfiltered: Daniel Manetti, The Connaught
Daniel Manetti, head sommelier at the two-Michelin-starred Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, shares his joy at finally tasting a bottle of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, and why London is one of the best cities in the world to work in wine.
Unfiltered: Fabrizio de Fenzo, Ristorante Frescobaldi
Fabrizio De Fenzo, head sommelier at Ristorante Frescobaldi in Mayfair, set out on his path to becoming a sommelier at the tender age of 16, working at L’Anima, Sartoria and Petrus before finding a home at Frescobaldi.
Unfiltered: Anne McHale MW, The Coral Room
Wine consultant at the Bloomsbury Hotel’s Coral Room, Anne McHale MW, reveals how her father sparked her love of wine, and what it was like taking actress Emma Thompson through her WSET Level 2.
Unfiltered: Honey Spencer, Nuala
Sommelier at London hotspot Nuala explains how a sick sommelier helped get her start in wine, why Trousseau is her marmite grape, and how the earth stopped turning upon tasting a certain Champagne while backpacking in New Zealand.
Unfiltered: Isabelle Legeron MW
A staunch advocate of natural wine, Isabelle Legeron founded RAW Wine in 2012, which has grown to become the world’s largest community of low-intervention organic, biodynamic and natural wine producers. Here, she shares her unconventional path in wine, and details of her her new venture, the London-based wine bar Neptune.
Unfiltered: Stefan Neumann MS, Dinner by Heston
Dinner’s head sommelier tells WLC about getting tongue tied when serving Angelina Jolie, spilling fish sauce on one of his diner’s heads, and an unforgettable dinner in Cadiz involving lashings of Krug.
Unfiltered: Nicola Perrone, Orrery
Italian-born Nicola Perrone, head sommelier at French neighbourhood restaurant Orrery in Marylebone, explains how his wine list is “his baby” and reveals that the one wine he can’t get along with hails from his motherland.
Unfiltered: Neleen Strauss, High Timber
Neleen Strauss, the formidable owner of South African city spot High Timber, on serving Oprah Winfrey, the joy of a plate of anchovies with a glass of Albarino, and an altercation with a Texan with a knack for opening a bottle of wine with a handgun.
Unfiltered: Katie Exton, Lorne
Katie Exton began her career in wine with English producer Breaky Bottom, and went on to become head sommelier at Chez Bruce and The River Café, before opening her own restaurant, Lorne, in 2017.
Unfiltered: Ruben Desport, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
Ruben Desport, head sommelier at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, shares his early experiences of life as a Belgian-born sommelier in London, and which bottle set him on his path to wine.