NZSOMMELIER

Starting his career with the Royal New Zealand Navy as an Officer's Steward, Gary was classically trained by the London City & Guilds Institute having completed his 707/1/2 and 3 courses in Food and Beverage. Gary credits his success with having studied classical French cooking techniques, Guerideon and Silver services' and traditional British and European Hotel and Restaurant operations.

Gary's love of fine wine started after finishing top of his class in his City and Guilds Sommelier's exams and having completed 6 months in the Royal Cellars at Buckingham Palace on an exchange, decided that wine would be his life. With a self confessed love of old world wine and a healthy respect for certain new world producers Gary has managed some of the countries most prestigious and award winning wine lists.

Finding that the NZ wine industry was moving to a more commercial direction and with a loss of quality based on meeting the market for its Sauvignon Blanc, he started nzsommelier to highlight some of NZ's passionate pioneers and boutique wine makers that took their trade seriously and were producing outstanding, boutique, handcrafted and fine wines of New Zealand.