How to become a wine expert - Evening Standard
How to become a wine expert, according to The Wine Show’s Amelia Singer
From working in vineyards in Chile to being Jamie Oliver’s wine girl, Amelia Singer divulges what really makes a good wine
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Despite having spent just eight years in the industry, Amelia Singer is a seasoned wine expert.
One of the stars of Channel 5’s The Wine Show, Singer is a fresh face on the food and drink industry's expert scene – and wants more young people to get into it.
Before the 31-year-old graced our screens, she spent four years travelling around wineries in France, Spain and Chile before re-locating back to London and starting up her own supper club – which caught the attention of Jamie Oliver’s team.
The Standard spoke to Singer to find out about her career so far, breaking down industry barriers and what her favourite wine is.
How did you get into the wine industry?
Wine glasses are seven times bigger than they used to be
A very enthusiastic European father pretty much weaned me on wine - I was having sips of the stuff before dinner from the age of six. However, I knew I wanted to go into the industry having helped run the Food and Wine Society at university.
It just seemed crazy to me that for many people wine was regarded as a part of an elitist world or just something to get drunk on when there was a supermarket sale. I knew that I really wanted to enter the trade in order to teach, communicate and ultimately empower people when it came to making every day wine decisions. Wine can be intellectual and pricey but ultimately it is meant to be fun and a life enhancer.
Tell us about your career path in the lead up to The Wine Show?
On paper my CV looks pretty all over the place. I knew that I had to learn a lot about the industry as a whole, in a relatively short period of time. So I spent the first four years working in wineries in France, Chile and Spain. I combined this practical experience with working for importers, retailers, online fine wine stockists and exciting wine startup companies. I supplemented this with various wine exams - the last being the WSET Diploma which I really recommend for anyone interested in working in the trade.
After five years of working for others, I kick-started my own business called Amelia's Wine by hosting pop-up wine supper clubs. These were held in my basement flat and were called Basement Bacchanalia. Every week I would explore a different wine region or theme and I would host, cook and conduct a wine tasting for 18 people.
It was during this period that Jamie Oliver's team heard about a weird girl throwing wine tastings in a basement and that started my career as the wine girl on Jamie Oliver's Drinks Tube channel. During that period talks were starting to take place about The Wine Show. As soon as I heard about this new exciting project which was going to make wine fun, it seemed to be a natural step to try and be a part of it.
For people who haven’t watched it, what is The Wine Show about?
The Wine Show is essentially Top Gear for wine. It is meant to appeal to wine lovers as well as complete novices, it's for people of all ages and very international in feel. We travelled to 13 different countries in the first series.
Wine is very much the thread of the show. It holds it all together but really looks at wine in relation to culture, people, food and contemporary issues such as climate change and war in the Middle East. The show is equally as diverse in terms of presenters - we have myself, Joe Fattorini and Jancis Robinson as the wine experts but also the actors Matthew Rhys, Matthew Goode and James Purefoy who don't know much about wine but are interested. There is also the awesome Jaega Wisa who is a renowned brewer plus a plethora of exciting chefs. I was very lucky to work with such a talented and dynamic production.
How important is it to be part of the new generation of food and drink experts on our screens?
Super important. I went into this industry to break down barriers and it’s my mission to make wine really enjoyable and a drink for everyone, not just for the elite. It is great to see a wine show do so well and reach all kinds of demographics in a really fun, contemporary and accessible way. I hope this is only the beginning and that we shall start seeing more wine related productions on our screen and there being more interest in wine vloggers and online material as a consequence.
Best value supermarket red wines
If you had to pick a favourite wine, what would it be?
It would have to be a white Chateauneuf du Pape. I like white wines which could essentially be red. Therefore age worthy, fairly robust, complex and made from an interesting blend of grapes. I have had Chateauneuf du Pape whites which after 30 years are still beautiful and singing.
What advice would you give to wine tasting amateurs?
Make friends with your local independent or wine merchant. They can help you with working out your taste and can find you great bargains. I also love going to wine bars or restaurants where they have the enomatic machines. You just put money on a card and can then try sips of a whole array of wine. I also would recommend doing wine exams, even if it’s just foundation level at the WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust). These exams are open to anyone and are a great building block for any wine enthusiast. You can then judge how far you want to take it.
What makes a good wine?
Whether it's red or white, a wine needs to have balance. Balanced acidity, fruit, alcohol, tannin and body. That is objectively how you can judge if a wine is well made. If you feel a fiery burn at the back of your throat when you swallow that highlights an imbalance of alcohol for example. If everything is in balance then it really comes down to my personal taste, who I am sharing it with and the general ambiance. Fifty percent of tasting wine, I am sure, is emotional and associated with the actual drinking experience.
Do you still hold your supper club?
You can now get wine, whisky and chocolate through your letterbox
Yes but I have moved address; it's now in a Mews House and is called Mews Musings, and they generally happen once every other month. These are very convivial evenings where you can try around 16 wines which have all been paired with specifically curated canapés or bowl food and it is very relaxed. Some are sit down dinners whereas others are walk around tastings.
My next tasting is all about Austrian wine! I have shipped over 15 different wines from my favourite Austrian producers and have got a chef to do all kinds of unpronounceable Austrian delicacies! I adore Austrian wine - it seriously is some of the most food friendly wine out there. There are still a couple of tickets left which can be bought either on my website or on Eventbrite under Mews House Musing events.
At all of my home tastings they can be as technical or social as you want. It is always very interactive, relaxed and the people who come are from all ages, all doing different things and from all around the world. That's what I love about wine - it brings everyone together.