HERE’S MY STORY
I’m Sergio Persi, a well-travelled wine-loving Italian from Turin, a stones’ throw from the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco. At a relatively young age, I was drawn to the bright lights of London (which in my mind was and still is the gastronomic capital of the world) where I have lived, studied and worked for more than half my life.
My spiritual home however, would probably be in Croatia or somewhere in Central Europe, the Balkans or Black Sea. I’ve been on countless road trips exploring the region, attending seminars and important wine events including:
‘Vinocom’ and ‘Vinart Grand Tasting’ in Zagreb (Croatia)
‘Balkan Wine Festival’ and ‘Di Vino.Taste’ in Sofia (Bulgaria)
‘Skopje Wine Salon’ and ‘Vinodonia’ in Skopje (Macedonia)
Back to the UK… where I worked for several years as a Sommelier, including a stint at The Fat Duck at the time it won its third Michelin Star! I then decided it was time to explore importing and selling wine and landed a role at Coe Vintners (before merging with Enotria) supporting and learning from their Wine Buyer, Master of Wine, Junior Vianna organising wine tastings, training sessions and supporting the sales team and subsequently, working in sales as a Fine Wine Account Manager.
In 2008, I met Steve Daniel, the founding father of Novum Wines and the man behind Oddbins initial success, known also for bringing Greek wines and many other hidden gems to our tables. He took me under his wing to focus on sales to:
Prestigious London restaurants including Michelin-starred Benares, Galvin La Chapelle and China Tang.
5-star hotels, Westbury Mayfair, Langham Hotel and Andaz.
Award-winning independent retailers The Sampler, Wimbledon Wine Cellars and Askew Wines.
This role evolved when we joined forces with Hallgarten, where I also worked with gastro pubs and groups such as Galvin and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants and the JKS group until 2020. Over the years I assisted Wine Buyer, Steve Daniel blending the own labels for customers Food and Fuel and Frontier Pubs and I was instrumental in bringing Kozlovic and Jako Vino Stina into the UK market and positioning their wines in the London fine dining scene.
After years gaining valuable experience in the trade, studying WSET and AIS courses along the way, I have now decided to focus on what I really enjoy doing… seeking out fantastic (small) producers and helping bring them to market.
When I’m not working, you’ll either find me in my allotment making sure my sprouts are on the way for Christmas, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, travelling to remote wilderness’ and wine regions or cracking open a magnum with friends.