Top UK sommeliers Philippe Messy and Gearoid Devaney have started a personal sommelier service for the super-rich.
The pair come with gilt-edged credentials, Messy from Gravetye Manor and the Hyde Park Hotel, as well as his own openings L’Etranger and Papillon, and Devaney from Tom Aikens.
Winelife is the working title for the venture, founded by Messy and millionaire businessman Bertrand Faure Beaulieu.
They hit on the idea after Messy had been giving ad hoc personal wine advice to Faure Beaulieu for some years.
For an undisclosed yearly fee, Winelife will provide the world’s wealthiest men and women with a personal bespoke sommelier service, from education and tasting to cellaring, buying and drinking advice.
Messy and Devaney are now builiding a team of the ‘finest, award-winning sommeliers’ – persuading them to leave their current positions and join the team of globetrotting personal wine experts.
The two latest recruits, bringing the total to four, are Master Sommelier Christopher Delalonde of The Square and Sebastian Chevalier of Amber at Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental. He will take care of the operation in Hong Kong.
‘This is a great opportunity for our sommeliers, it gives them a chance to spend much more time exploring wine on the open road, meeting winemakers, tasting and discovering new wines,’ Messy said.
Written by Adam Lechmere
