In My Passion for Wine every month, Decanter magazine interviews famous people who love wine. From top cricketers and footballers, to writers, artists, DJs and actors, we've interviewed them all.
Lee Dixon
The ex-Arsenal defender and part-owner of the Riverside Brasserie tells Fiona Sims of the dangers of developing a taste for fine wine.
Read the full Lee Dixon interview.
Sir Trevor McDonald
Britain’s favourite newsman tells Lucy Shaw about his love of Burgundy wines, Champagne breakfasts and the difficulty of stopping after one glass.
Read the full Sir Trevor McDonald interview.
Gilles Peterson![]( "Gilles Peterson")
Jazz man, radio and club DJ Gilles Peterson tells Oliver Styles there’s no better wine to drink while DJing than a German dry white.
Read the full Gilles Peterson interview.
Sir James Galway
The man with the golden flute tells Maggie Rosen how he managed to amass a cellar full of top Bordeaux reds, almost without realising it.
Read the full Sir James Galway interview.
V Cheryl Womack
The leading US entrepreneur who made her fortune in lorries and insurance tells Maggie Rosen a thing or two about risk and reward.
Read the full V Cheryl Womack interview.
Earl Spencer
The late Princess of Wales’ brother inherited his father’s depleted cellar. He plans to return it to its glory days, writes Margaret Rand.
Read the full Earl Spencer interview.
Amy Lamé
The 1950s-styled TV and radio presenter and performer only discovered wine recently, but there’s no stopping her now, says Fiona Sims.
Read the full
Nicholas Soames MP
The Conservative MP and grandson of Sir Winston Churchill enjoys a robust indulgence in wine. Guy Woodward recounts a bruising encounter.
Read the full Nicholas Soames MP interview.
Tom McLoughlin
The Australian owner of luxury hotel group Per Aquum has built a huge 10,000-bottle wine cellar at one resort. Beverley Blanning MW finds out whether his own wine collection lives up to those of his hotels.
Read the full Tom McLoughlin interview.
Simon Russell Beale![]( "Simon Russell Beale")
The acclaimed actor first encountered serious wines while at Cambridge, and is firmly a fan of the Old World classics. By Anastasia Edwards.
Read the full Simon Russell Beale interview.
Jono Coleman![]( "Jono Coleman")
The ex-BBC Radio London breakfast show host loves his fine wines with a passion, but he can’t bear to be thought elitist, he tells Adam Lechmere.
Read the full Jono Coleman interview.
James Nesbitt
The star of Cold Feet, Murphy’s Law and those Yellow Pages ads tells Adam Lechmere about his addiction to Sauvignon Blanc.
Read the full James Nesbitt interview.
Bryn Terfel
Opera and wine seem to sit comfortably together – as evidenced by the tastes of the renowned Welsh baritone. Rosi Hanson met him.
Read the full Bryn Terfel interview.
Sir Christopher Bland
What does a knight of the realm, and chairman of one of Britain’s biggest companies do to relax? Prune vines, he tells Guy Woodward.
Read the full Sir Christopher Bland interview.
Lord Linley
Renowned furniture designer David Linley, twelfth in line to the throne, has long had access to the best wines. Adam Lechmere checks out his tastes.
Read the full Lord Linley interview.
Ronald Searle
One of the world’s most brilliant cartoonists is also an impassioned wine lover. Jeff Cox meets a man who loves wine and hates pretensions.
Read the full Ronald Searle interview.
Dylan Jones
As editor of the thinking man’s style magazine GQ, Dylan Jones is paid to keep abreast of the finer things in life. So what took him so long to discover wine? Adam Lechmere finds out.
Read the full Dylan Jones interview.
Robert Winston
The fertility expert, life peer and TV presenter is as passionate about wine as he is about genetics, finds John Stimpfig.
Read the full Robert Winston interview.
Peter Bazalgette
His great great grandfather designed the London sewage system, and he has been accused of taking prime time TV to a gutter level. Yet Oliver Styles finds the media tycoon has exquisite taste.
Read the full Peter Bazalgette interview.
Stuart Rose
Away from the pressure of demanding shareholders, the boss of UK retail giant Marks & Spencer chooses to unwind by feeding his ‘addiction’ to top-end wines, writes Beverley Blanning MW.
Read the full Stuart Rose interview.
Dennis Lillee
Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee was a teetotaller for many years as a young man. Now, as Michael Zekulich finds out, he is as passionate about his wine as he was about his cricket.
Read the full Dennis Lillee interview.
Jeanette Winterson
Considering her fiercely religious, teetotal upbringing, it’s a wonder Jeanette Winterson likes wine at all, says Rosi Hanson. In fact, the novelist is positively evangelical about old vintages.
Read the full Jeanette Winterson interview.
Dr Mahen Varma
One would assume that cardiologist Dr Mahen Varma is passionate about wine because it’s good for the heart, but Giles MacDonogh discovers his taste runs to more than just good ordinary claret.
Read the full Dr Mahen Varma interview.
Felicity Dahl
Author and wine lover Roald Dahl bought 1,000 cases of 1982 Bordeaux. Since his death in 1990, his widow Felicity – a keen amateur herself – has continued to cultivate the family cellar. Guy Woodward meets her.
Read the full Felicity Dahl interview.
Graham Gooch
Famous both as one of England’s greatest batsmen and for once sporting a handlebar moustache, Graham Gooch was introduced to wine on his cricketing tours, as Adam Lechmere discovers.
Read the full Graham Gooch interview.
Al Stewart
Singer-songwriter Al Stewart was never a typical rocker. The self-confessed yuppie puts his reputation on the line to tell Janics Fuhrman why wine and music are the perfect blend.
Read the full Al Stewart interview.
And finally: Celebrities with vineyards. Adam Lechmere, editor of decanter.com, asks whether a celebrity name is enough to guarantee a wine’s success.
