Steve founded Fine Wines of Italy in 2001 after be persuaded that the distinctive ve and qualities of the best single estate wines produced by specialist winemakers made them memorable – and marketable.
After years of drinking indifferent, mass produced Chiantis and industrial Soaves and Frascatis, he found delight and pleasure in craftsman made wines. He found variety beyond the bounds of diversity and wealth of hidden oenological gems – and in every region of the country.
He also found that there was so much more to Italian food and cuisine than just pizza and pasta and that together the best Italian wines and foods were a perfect combination.
What’s more he found his enthusiasm was shared by many other people, who were delighted to discover the sort of high quality wines they may have tried on holidays or business trips, but had struggled to find in mainstream English supermarkets and off licences.
But, promoting and selling these wines has sometime proved difficult, and simply operating as a wine importer, distributor and retailer has often proved frustrating – not that wines have not been good enough, but because so much of the essential promotional and bridge building promotion is still need. What is needed is a morfe personalised imaginative and carefully tailored approach introducing these producers and their products to new markets and new customers, both individual and corporate.
A journalist and broadcaster by profession, Steve also has extensive experience in public relations, marketing, promotion and event management, working for many major commercial enterprises, mostly notably for Peugeot, for whom he organised and presented a series of major dealer support events over a period of more than a decade. He also extensive experience in media training in all areas of the media including Online and the internet– all skills which will be fully at the disposal of Italian Wine and Food promotions and, above all, its clients.
And by way of relaxation, apart from enjoying fine Italian wines, Steve is a keen cook and gardener, particularly for the kitchen, which gives him a degree of sympathy and fellow feeling for the vineyard owners and wine makers.
“The secret of good home cooking is in the quality and the freshness of the ingredients and the only way you really guarantee that is to grow them yourself. And short of growing the grapes ourselves, knowing the vineyards and their methods is the next best way to ensure the highest quality wines.”
Steve has a Full Personal Alcohol licence which means that he is licensed to sell all forms of alcoho tol the public either directly or through third parties.
