For this edition, we sat down with Rachael Pogmore, Wine Buyer for the Americas and Australia/New Zealand at leading importer and distributor Enotria, to talk about what fine wine really means, the bottles that have shaped her career, and why education is key to drinking better.
Rachael opens by praising what Tiny Wine is trying to do, calling the concept a “revelation”. For her, fine wine isn’t just about rarity or prestige, but about heritage and provenance. “It needs to have history and real credibility behind it,” she explains.
In her own cellar, that sense of history is very real. Rachael counts Gran Reserva wines dating back to the '80s among her most treasured bottles, spanning through to the 1990s. These are wines kept not just for their age, but for the stories they tell.
One of her most memorable wine experiences came during a trip to Bordeaux for negotiations. Visiting Saint-Julien, she tasted a second growth from Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, the 2006 vintage. “It completely blew my mind,” she says, a reminder of how powerful context and place can be when tasting great wine.
When it comes to favourite regions, Rachael doesn’t hesitate. Argentina’s Uco Valley tops the list, thanks to its climate, altitude and terroir. “It’s got the whole package,” she says.
Looking ahead, she highlights Uruguay as an exciting up-and-coming region within South America. Influenced by the Atlantic, the wines being produced there are fresh, distinctive and increasingly impressive.
So how do we make fine wine more accessible? For Rachael, it starts with the consumer. Education, research and curiosity all play a part, and she believes the wine trade has a responsibility to help guide people through that journey.
Her top tip for drinking better comes back to the same theme: learn, explore and ask questions. She also points to what Tiny Wine is doing as part of the solution, giving people the chance to experience serious wines in a more accessible way.
Her bottle shout-out reflects her love of structured, world-class reds: a Cabernet blend from Altair in the Andes.
Stay tuned for more Tiny Tastings as we continue to speak with buyers, sommeliers and wine professionals about what fine wine really means today.