How I got my job... as a wine expert 🍷

Welcome to Glamour's weekly column, How I Got My Job, featuring one woman with an amazing job, and the real route to get it. Looking for career inspo? For this week's instalment, wine specialist Anne McHale shares her CV...

Who? Anne McHale, 34.

What? Wine education specialist for fine-wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd. She’s one of only 319 people in the world to currently have Master of Wine status.

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“I was interested in teaching, but put off by the idea of a room full of teenagers, so I knew I wasn’t going down a PGCE route. I joined the university wine society out of curiosity while I was studying. I didn’t think of it as a job option; it’s not like the careers officer ever said, ‘Drink wine for a living.’”

“After uni, I moved to London and applied for various roles that needed a French speaker – I wanted to use my language skills in some way. The first offer I got was from a small French wine agency, a straightforward admin role, sorting out orders. I saw it as a rite of passage; everyone starts at the bottom, but as my wine knowledge grew, so did my interest in the industry as a career choice. While here, I took the Wine & Spirit Education Trust exams, which teach you about everything from grape varieties to the effect of altitude.”

“I’d learnt about the business and logistical side of the industry, but I was office-bound and wanted to be out at events meeting people. A marketing role let me do this: it was exciting and refreshing.”

“I’d learnt everything I could at New Zealand Winegrowers and couldn’t see the job progressing further. It was a risk, but I took a temporary admin role at Berry Bros. & Rudd, thinking there might be future teaching opportunities in their wine school. Thankfully, at the end of my contract they said they needed a permanent administrator, and was I interested? It turned out to be the right decision, since the role laid the foundations for my career long-term.”

“My line manager Rebecca Lamont, who runs the wine school, was instrumental in helping me develop my role beyond admin. I lacked teaching confidence, so she became my mentor, co-teaching classes with me at the start. As my experience grew, the company employed a full-time administrator so I could focus on hosting and presenting.”

“I suggested to Berry Bros. & Rudd that I study for this. The final task is four three-hour theory papers and three blind taste tests. I didn’t pass it all first time. It was humbling – I’d never failed an exam before – but I persevered and nailed it eventually.”

1. Start small. Most of the top people in the wine industry started out on the shop floor or took an administrative role, then worked up.

2. Think commercially. It’s not enough to say, ‘I’m interested in wine,’ – you’ve got to think, ‘How could I sell this wine?’

3. Get qualified. If you want your company to sponsor a qualification to help you get ahead, outline how they will benefit from it too.