Meet the Team

Staff

Chris

Chris escaped the hotel business in 2001 to live in Australia, where he gained wine experience in the Hunter Valley before heading back to Europe for a Wine MBA. After managing the company and being sole buyer for ten years he bought the company from Andrew, its founder, in October 2020. His deep fondness for the wines of Portugal, Austria, and the USA explains the focus Bottle Apostle has in these countries.

Ros

Ros started working with wine because she wanted to be around cheerful people and decided that most people are in a pretty good mood when they are buying wine. She started off at Majestic for 6 years where she did her WSET Advanced and developed her passion for wine. Since joining Bottle Apostle her interest in Portuguese wines has grown and grown alongside her fondness of craft beer.  

George

While seeking work experience, George had the opportunity to spend a week working in Tain l'Hermitage. After a few years at uni studying physics, he decided that he would much rather be spending his time with wine so after some time bartending and working in restaurants he joined Bottle Apostle. Wine favourites are northern Rhone, cool climate Pinot Noir and pretty much anything Sicilian.

Tom B

Tom discovered the joys of wine while working part-time during his studies. His original intent was to pursue a path in academia, but he decided that wine was probably more interesting and definitely more exciting. He has a diverse range of wine interests, from the most robust of Italian reds to the unique, saline whites of the Spanish islands, but his true wine love will always be the Chenin Blanc of the Loire Valley.

Iryna

Iryna moved to London in 2019, leaving her successful model management company to follow her true passion in wine and her even truer passion…. CHAMPAGNE!! She passed her WSET level 2 and level 3 courses with distinction and there are no bounds to her vinous curiosity. Iryna enjoys organising events and introducing new wines to her friends and customers of the shop.

JR

JR’s love for wine began whilst exploring Canadian and other new world wines whilst living in North America, but it quickly grew into his main passion after his exposure to the wine societies and fine college cellars during his studying at Oxford and Cambridge. Well versed in new world and French wines, JR has been increasingly interested by the more ‘off-piste’ regions and styles – Georgian and Uruguayan reds, as well as orange wines and Pet-Nats. 

Tom C

Tom C

Tom hails from the craft beer world and moved into wine after arriving to London 3 years ago. Fitting that he’s joined us in the shop with the largest beer room. He’s passionate about low intervention wines and a big fan of the Austrian wine scene. When not in the shop, don’t be surprised if you see him cycling up London’s toughest hill climbs!

Mignon

Mignon

Mignon fell in love with wines and sakes when she worked as a marketer in Hong Kong, having had a chance to create content for an established wine company at a digital marketing agency. It was definitely eye-opening, and she felt determined to venture out into the world of wines more. She has recently passed WSET Level 3 exam and found out her favourites are German Riesling, Eiswein and Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, California & Germany. Apart from wine, she also loves books, baking, music, corgis and Leonardo DiCaprio!

Marion

Marion’s interest in wine comes from a long time ago when she wondered ‘how can we obtain this from a fruit?’. Curiosity was also enhanced by her parents; when you are French, you tend to try wine when you are young, just by ‘dipping your little finger in it’. She studied wine in France and has recently passed her WSET level 3. Marion’s favourite wines are from Burgundy, Provence (where she is from) and South Africa. When not selling wine, you will find her mostly near a sewing machine, where she loves to create historical clothes or costumes from movies.

Matthew

Matthew

Matthew has had a career in wine retail and wine investment which included writing articles on the subject while living in Australia. Some of his favourite wine regions include Piedmont (particularly Barbaresco) and the Barossa Valley/McLaren Vale for Shiraz and Cabernet. His seminal wine was a Gigondas - Domaine Raspail-Ay, which he tasted at university, and obviously stocked in our shops.

Angelo

Angelo

Angelo made the leap as an investment advisor in Montreal, Canada to a new adventure in London's wine scene. With a 5-year stint in finance, he's now navigating the intricate world of wines, bringing a global perspective to the table. He has a soft spot for wines with unique aromas, and the appeal grows if there's a subtle hint of coffee on the nose. His change is about savoring life's moments, appreciating the artistry in every bottle, and creating memorable experiences. Here's to embracing new beginnings, cherishing the aromatic symphony of wines, and toasting to a journey filled with discovery and celebration.

Steve

Steve

Forever following his passions, Steve joined Bottle Apostle in 2023 with a view to learn as much about wine as humanly possible whilst balancing an established career in the music industry. You can find Steve in Crouch End, and occasionally Primrose Hill, extolling the virtues of salty mediterranean whites, light-bodied chillable reds and, of course, the latest alternative & post-punk releases. Come in for a chat with him about your favourite music & wine pairings.

Christian

Christian grew up in the Thermenregion, a beautiful wine region just south of Vienna, picking grapes as a teenager to top up his pocket money. Many decades later, having gained experience selecting and importing wine from Austria for the restaurant trade in the UK, Christian joined Bottle Apostle while pursuing the wine diploma at the WSET. Based mainly in Crouch End and Primrose Hill, he will tell you about his passion for Riesling, fruity reds and dessert wines – and not necessarily all from Austria! His long term dream is to own a vineyard in Greece.

 

Kieron

Kieron

Kieron always loved wine but came late to learning and selling it after a career in advertising while drinking it. About 8 years ago he made amends by working through WSET courses progressing to level 3 and then joined Bottle Apostle. He relishes the challenge of helping customers find just the right bottle - whether it be a food pairing, special occasion, a present, or just an end of the week wind down. His personal favourites tend to come from California and Italy, but he's always on the hunt for great finds wherever they are. 

Ray

Originally from Belfast, Ray moved to London in 1979. He holds a BA Architecture, lived a previous life as a band roadie and is married with two daughters. Being no stranger to the road, Ray now commands the Bottle Apostle van distributing our wonderful wines to restaurants and your front door. He drives London's streets like he owns them - what a boss! He also claims he has no wine knowledge, but we've noticed the man has a soft spot for Barolo, so he can't be too far off.

Bob

Bob visits us from Sheffield (yes Sheffield) once a week to balance the books. He's personally responsible for keeping the local kebab shop in business!

Wine Style Guide
Lighter dry wines
Aromatic + off-dry to medium-dry whites
Rich + oaked whites
Sweet + dessert wines
Lighter-bodied reds
Structured, classic reds
Full-bodied, rich reds
Rose