Wine Services
Features & Articles
Mike is a card-carrying member of the UK wine press, writing regular columns for both on-trade and off-trade publications, and judging in international wine competitions.
Mike offers his own inimitable style and take on the wine trade on a freelance basis. This is both under his own name, and also ghost-written articles and columns for brands and companies.
The Buyer
His main role is as a regular contributor for The Buyer, one of the UK’s leading wine industry magazines. The readership base is over 15,000 subscribers from across the UK (and global) wine industry.
Mike covers a range of topics in his writings for The Buyer. From his base in the East Midlands he is available to cover tastings and trade events across the UK from importers, retailers, and trade associations. He also enjoys writing about consumer, winemaking, and environmental trends across the wine and spirits industries.
Circle of wine writers
He is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers, having been a member since 2017. The Circle is a knowledge sharing, networking, and marketing group of over 250 wine journalists, based across 30 countries.
The membership boasts such wine industry giants as Jancis Robinson MW, Steven Spurrier, Olly Smith…and now, of course, Mike!
other work
Mike has previously contributed for other press titles such as Harpers Wine & Spirits, in house publications and education materials for companies such as Bibendum and Wanderlust Wines, and wine travel companies such as The Winerist.
His range of interests include wine production, logistics, tourism, and community. His main focus on each is the sustainability of each process and moving the wine trade towards a greener and more environmentally aware future.
wine judging
Mike is available for wine judging commitments both in the UK and internationally.
He has been a regular judge for Bordeaux Wines’ Hot 50 tastings. Run under the watchful eye of Richard Bampfield MW, Mike and his fellow judges taste through the competition to reveal the UK’s top 50 Bordeaux wines available each year from across the retail sector.
Mike is a judge at the Millésime Bio competition. Held each year in Montpellier, the Millésime Bio is the world’s largest organic wine fair, attracting producers from across the globe, who each enter their wines for medals from the show each year.
Mike is also a final round judge at the People’s Choice Wine Awards. The brain child of Janet Harrison and Judy Kendrick, these awards highlight the best wines available to the UK consumer each year, voted for by the consumer.
Masterclasses & Presenting
Mike is available to run masterclasses and present wine tastings, both online and in person.
He has run masterclasses at large industry shows as well as smaller regional festivals, on behalf of brands and trade associations.
He has run wine tastings on behalf of both his own companies and clients, both wine trade and corporate. Face to face tastings can be wine-only, or preferably wine dinners which he can host at his own restaurant in central London. He has also become more than proficient organising and hosting online tasting events for private parties and corporate events.
hire Mike
Please get in touch directly with Mike using the site’s contact form. His rates will vary depending on the exact nature of the job in question, but he prides himself on understanding your needs, and being great value for his time.