For your aged cheddar
→ Vintage Port
- Grape
- Touriga Nacional and field blend
- Region
- Douro, Portugal
- Try a bottle
- Taylor's Late Bottled Vintage
Port's sweet richness and structure stand up to the crystalline crunch of aged hard cheese.
On wine
How a CS student ended up in the cellars of Adare Manor.
A side hustle at a country-house restaurant turned into a sommelier kit, a trip to Madrid for the CMS Intro, and a WSET Level 2 pass with merit. 3 years 2 months at Adare Manor — and two trades that ask for the same kind of attention.
The path
From server to sommelier
Three stops that turned a hospitality job into a craft worth studying.
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01 · 2022
The Mustard Seed
Food & Beverage Assistant
First hospitality role at an acclaimed country-house restaurant in Ballingarry. Where the obsession started.
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02 · 2023
Adare Manor
Senior F&B Assistant — Carriage House
Premium VIP service. Coordinating wine service with the kitchen's tasting menus.
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03 · 2024–2026
Adare Manor
Junior Sommelier
Wine list, pairings, event planning for international clientele. Two and a half years building the craft at one of Europe's finest five-star properties.
Credentials
The qualifications
3 years 2 months on the floor at Adare Manor — and the certifications to show for it.
Issued August 2024
Introductory Sommelier
Court of Master Sommeliers Europe
Issued May 2024
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines — Merit (82%)
Wine & Spirit Education Trust
Next on the list
WSET Level 3 in Wines — booked for late 2026.
Service moment
Adare Manor · The Carriage House
"A wine like a hug."
A guest's only brief on the wine pairing — handed to me before the tasting menu started. We landed on a glass of Volnay. They left with a bottle. The pairing tool below started as a way to think more carefully about questions like that one.
Wine: Pinot Noir Region: Volnay, Burgundy Outcome: full bottle sold
The pairing tool
Tell me what you're eating tonight.
Thirty-three classic pairings — pick a dish, get a wine and a one-line reason.
For your baked or pan-fried cod
→ Pinot Grigio
- Grape
- Pinot Grigio
- Region
- Friuli, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Jermann Pinot Grigio
A clean, neutral white that lets a simple fish speak for itself without competing flavours.
For your beef bourguignon
→ Red Burgundy, village level
- Grape
- Pinot Noir
- Region
- Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- Bouchard Père & Fils Volnay
A Pinot from the dish's home region — earthy, savoury and bright enough to lift the long-simmered sauce.
For your blue cheese (stilton, roquefort)
→ Sauternes
- Grape
- Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
- Region
- Bordeaux, France
- Try a bottle
- Château Suduiraut Sauternes
The classic salt-meets-sweet pairing — honey and apricot notes calm the bite of pungent blue.
For your bolognese / ragù
→ Chianti Classico
- Grape
- Sangiovese
- Region
- Tuscany, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Felsina Chianti Classico
Sangiovese's high acidity and tangy red cherry are tuned for tomato-based meat sauces.
For your brie or camembert
→ Champagne
- Grape
- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay
- Region
- Champagne, France
- Try a bottle
- Pol Roger Brut Réserve
Yeasty Champagne autolysis echoes the rind; bubbles cut through the buttery interior.
For your caesar salad
→ Sancerre
- Grape
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Region
- Loire Valley, France
- Try a bottle
- Henri Bourgeois Sancerre
Crisp Sauvignon Blanc handles the anchovy-and-parmesan punch without going flabby.
For your charcuterie board
→ Beaujolais-Villages or dry Lambrusco
- Grape
- Gamay or Lambrusco
- Region
- Beaujolais or Emilia-Romagna
- Try a bottle
- Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages
Light, juicy reds with low tannin handle the salt and fat without dominating the variety on the board.
For your coq au vin
→ Red Burgundy
- Grape
- Pinot Noir
- Region
- Côte de Nuits, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- Joseph Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin
Cook with what you'll drink — Pinot Noir built the sauce, and a fresh bottle finishes the meal.
For your crème brûlée
→ Sauternes
- Grape
- Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
- Region
- Bordeaux, France
- Try a bottle
- Château Coutet Sauternes
Honeyed sweetness and a touch of botrytis match the burnt sugar and vanilla custard.
For your dark chocolate dessert
→ Banyuls or vintage Port
- Grape
- Grenache (Banyuls) / Portuguese field blend
- Region
- Roussillon, France
- Try a bottle
- M. Chapoutier Banyuls
Sweet, fortified red with cocoa notes of its own — the only style that can match dark chocolate's intensity.
For your dover sole or other flat fish
→ Chablis
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Chablis, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- William Fèvre Chablis Premier Cru
Unoaked Chardonnay with chalky minerality keeps the focus on the delicate fish and its butter sauce.
For your duck (confit or roasted)
→ Pinot Noir or Alsace Pinot Gris
- Grape
- Pinot Noir
- Region
- Burgundy or Alsace
- Try a bottle
- Trimbach Pinot Gris Réserve
Pinot Noir's bright fruit matches the richness; Pinot Gris brings spiced honey notes that pair with crispy skin.
For your fresh oysters
→ Muscadet sur lie
- Grape
- Melon de Bourgogne
- Region
- Pays Nantais, Loire
- Try a bottle
- Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet
Saline, bone-dry and bracingly acidic — like a squeeze of lemon in a glass.
For your grilled salmon
→ Light Pinot Noir or dry rosé
- Grape
- Pinot Noir
- Region
- Oregon, Willamette Valley
- Try a bottle
- Argyle Reserve Pinot Noir
The rare red that works with a fatty fish — Pinot's acidity cuts the oil; gentle tannins don't overpower.
For your indian curry (medium spice)
→ Gewürztraminer or rosé
- Grape
- Gewürztraminer
- Region
- Alsace, France
- Try a bottle
- Hugel Gewurztraminer Classic
Lychee and rose perfume sit beautifully against the spice cabinet; a touch of off-dry softens the heat.
For your lobster with butter
→ White Burgundy or vintage Champagne
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Meursault or Champagne
- Try a bottle
- Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault
Lobster needs a wine of equal weight — oak-aged Chardonnay matches the richness; Champagne brings palate-cleansing bubbles.
For your margherita pizza
→ Chianti or Barbera d'Alba
- Grape
- Sangiovese or Barbera
- Region
- Tuscany or Piedmont, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba
Bright acidity matches the tomato; gentle tannins respect the fresh mozzarella.
For your mushroom risotto
→ Barbera or aged Nebbiolo
- Grape
- Barbera
- Region
- Piedmont, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Vietti Tre Vigne Barbera d'Asti
Earthy mushroom flavours echo Piedmont's truffle-and-fungi character; high acid keeps the dish lively.
For your pad thai
→ Off-dry Riesling
- Grape
- Riesling
- Region
- Mosel or Alsace
- Try a bottle
- Trimbach Riesling Réserve
Sweetness counters the chilli, acidity lifts the tamarind, and aromatics match the herbs and peanuts.
For your pan-seared scallops
→ Chablis Premier Cru
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Chablis, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Montmains
Steely minerality and crisp acidity highlight the caramelised sear on the scallops.
For your pan-seared sea bass
→ Albariño
- Grape
- Albariño
- Region
- Rías Baixas, Galicia
- Try a bottle
- Pazo de Señoráns Albariño
Salt-spray minerality and zesty stone fruit mirror the sea bass's clean, briny finish.
For your pesto pasta
→ Vermentino
- Grape
- Vermentino
- Region
- Liguria, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Cantine Lunae Bosoni Vermentino
Vermentino from the home of pesto — herby, saline, and with the cut to handle olive oil and garlic.
For your pork belly
→ Off-dry Mosel Riesling
- Grape
- Riesling
- Region
- Mosel, Germany
- Try a bottle
- Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Kabinett
A touch of residual sugar tames the richness; bright acidity slices through the fat cap.
For your rack of lamb
→ Northern Rhône Syrah
- Grape
- Syrah
- Region
- Côte-Rôtie or Crozes-Hermitage, Rhône
- Try a bottle
- Domaine Jamet Côte-Rôtie
The peppery, gamey notes of Syrah are a textbook match for the rosemary and rendered lamb fat.
For your ribeye or sirloin steak
→ Bold Cabernet Sauvignon
- Grape
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region
- Bordeaux (Left Bank) or Napa Valley
- Try a bottle
- Château Beychevelle 2018
Firm tannins cut through the fat and char, while ripe black fruit echoes the seared crust.
For your roast chicken
→ White Burgundy
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Côte de Beaune, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- Louis Latour Meursault
The classic. Buttery Chardonnay matches the roast skin while the wine's acidity lifts the herbs.
For your roast pork
→ White Burgundy
- Grape
- Chardonnay
- Region
- Mâconnais, Burgundy
- Try a bottle
- Joseph Drouhin Mâcon-Villages
Lightly oaked Chardonnay has the body to match roast pork without overwhelming its sweetness.
For your seafood paella
→ Dry rosado (Spanish rosé)
- Grape
- Garnacha / Tempranillo
- Region
- Navarra, Spain
- Try a bottle
- Bodegas Ochoa Rosado de Lágrima
A dry, structured rosé bridges the saffron, shellfish and chorizo — versatile enough for the whole pan.
For your seared tuna steak
→ Cru Beaujolais
- Grape
- Gamay
- Region
- Morgon or Fleurie, Beaujolais
- Try a bottle
- Marcel Lapierre Morgon
A lightly chilled Gamay with low tannins and bright cherry handles tuna's meaty texture without overwhelming it.
For your spaghetti carbonara
→ Frascati
- Grape
- Trebbiano & Malvasia blend
- Region
- Lazio, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Castel de Paolis Frascati Superiore
The local wine to the dish — soft acidity and lightly floral whites that cut the egg-and-pecorino richness.
For your sushi & sashimi
→ Off-dry German Riesling or junmai sake
- Grape
- Riesling
- Region
- Mosel, Germany
- Try a bottle
- Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett
A touch of residual sugar softens wasabi heat; bright acidity refreshes after each bite.
For your venison
→ Barolo or Northern Rhône Syrah
- Grape
- Nebbiolo
- Region
- Piedmont, Italy
- Try a bottle
- Vietti Barolo Castiglione
Nebbiolo's tannin and savoury complexity stand up to game meat without masking it.
Pairings are suggestions, not laws. The best wine is usually the one you both have.
Cellar notes
From the floor
A few photos from the bottle, the cellar and the journey.
Wine doesn't ask you to be smart — it asks you to pay attention. That's the same thing that makes you a good engineer.