Our Master of Wine: Matthew Hemming
To be a Master of Wine is to be in a very exclusive club. Just 415 Masters of Wine exist in the world and, thanks to the expertise they acquire on all things vinous over the many years that it takes to achieve this accolade, they are understandably in huge demand. At Vinum Fine Wines, we are lucky enough to have one in our team, Matthew Hemming MW and the benefits this brings to us, and our clients are substantial.
Matthew joined Vinum in 2017 after 15 years with one of the UK’s oldest traditional merchants.
In 2005 he won the only overseas scholarship to the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial, in Australia, which set him on the path towards studying to become a Master of Wine. Matthew became MW in 2013. He tastes each year with the Southwold Group, participates in the Burgfest tastings and has been published in both Decanter and The World of Fine Wine. At Vinum, Matthew’s main role is managing relationships with our agency producers and estates who give us direct allocations. He is part of the buying team, with particular responsibilities in Burgundy, and looks after a small number of private client and trade accounts.
Whilst based in the UK, Matthew works closely with Vinum’s team in Singapore, and travels regularly in both Asia and the wine regions of Europe.
A Master of Wine on the Ground for Vinum
Matthew is our man on the ground when it comes to visits to fine wine regions and trade tastings. Regular trips to Bordeaux Burgundy and beyond means a wealth of knowledge and experience, which Matthew puts to good use. To this end, our resident MW provides us, and our clients, with vintage reports, the latest news and views, finds the best buys, gives inside tips and adds much needed context. This means you’re fully prepared when the releases come thick and fast and the first to know when he comes across something special.
As a regular attendee of exclusive trade tastings such as Burgfest and Southwold, Matthew gets to see how young wines are performing in bottle. Here, he puts his palate to the test, seeks out the star performers and finds the very best buys, while also evaluating how each respective vintage is shaping up.
A Font of Knowledge
Having Matthew on staff means that, as a client you can directly benefit. Not only is Matthew constantly tasting, assessing and recommending wines for our Sales Team to offer, but if you have a question on anything wine related, your Account Manager has a Master of Wine to ask.
Hosting Tastings and Events
One of Matthew’s real skills is communication, deftly and expertly delivering complex information both internally and externally. An excellent speaker, Matthew is a regular host at our events, adding both authority, and fun, to any dinner or tasting.
