CODE meets wine expert Harriet Kininmonth

After studying languages at university, Harriet Kininmonth fell in love with wine and took a leap of faith: she ditched her plans to become a teacher and pursued a career as a wine buyer instead. Now, 15 years later, she’s the wine trading director at C&C Group, a multinational beverage company. CODE talked to Harriet about the summer trends to look out for, her favourite bottle of fizz, and where to drink in London. 

How did you get into wine? 

I was dragged around wineries by my grandfather as a child. My grandparents loved wine; they were never in the industry but were passionate consumers. I probably wasn’t that keen on it age 10 or 11, but it stuck with me and as I got interested in travel, food and cooking, I started to enjoy wine but not know much about it. So, I went and did the WSET level two, just for my own good, and had one of those eureka moments. I thought, ‘This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to learn about wine and see if I can forge a career in it.’ 

It’s such a passionate subject, and it’s clinical, academic, and it involves fascinating people through and through. 

What’s the secret to a good wine list? 

Know your consumer audience. And if you’re not sure, then speak to your supplier, who probably can support you on that. I think it’s also about ensuring you’ve got what consumers are looking for and meeting those needs – wine can excite and entice and spark joy. I will always say, when possible, make sure you’re always testing the consumer or leading them, driving them, into something they might not want to try. In my view, there should always be something interesting and a bit different on every wine list, even if we know that some of the key staples will probably drive most of the volume. 

What are you drinking this summer? Do tell. 

I’ve been drinking quite a lot of fizz this summer. I think we’re in an interesting era because premium sparkling wine is in growth. Prosecco is huge, but we know it’s starting to plateau. And there is huge growth with champagne, but we all know that allocations are smaller than they have been in the past. So, I’ve been drinking Graham Beck, which uses the Cap Classique method from South Africa. I think the value for money that it offers is extraordinary. I’m always looking for the underdog – something a bit different. 

And what do you pair with your fizz? 

It depends on what the fizz is. It can be quite versatile. There’s a misconception that it isn’t a food wine, and with some of the styles, like good Proseccos, they work well by themselves. But once you move into champagnes or similar richer styles, I think they come through when they’re paired with food. I like smoked salmon blinis with my fizz. You want something with a little bit of richness that can carry the wine: seafood like salmon, terrines or pâtés can work well. 

What trends are you seeing in wine right now? 

Rosé is probably the most important one call out. It was a huge trend about 10 years ago, then it plateaued a bit and it’s coming back into huge growth. It was once something that was seen as very, very seasonal, and – I hate saying this – probably more targeted towards women. And these days it’s something that we’re seeing drunk all year round. There are lots more premium rosés coming into the scene, and it’s being seen more as a food wine as well, and that works with hospitality. The Provence rosés can pair well with Asian food, with sushi and with charcuterie. We’re seeing that category evolve and I think we’ll continue to see it evolve, perhaps in different colours and styles going forward. 

Do you have a favourite rosé at the moment? 

We have some amazing ones from our portfolio. I tend to drink a lot of our own wines. We do a lot with MDCV’s Ultimate Provence, which is fab, and which we’re selling into the UK on trade at breakneck speed. I also quite like exploring rosés from different producers. We’ve just taken on Gérard Bertrand in the South of France. It’s not Provence, but he’s got some great rosés that I’ve been trying – the Côte de Roses from Languedoc is a great premium rosé.

Where to drink wine in London, according to Harriet: 

• Noble Rot – It’s second to none. Absolutely phenomenal. 
   
• 67 Pall Mall – One of the top destinations for great wine. You can get iconic wines and old vintages.  

• Brat – It’s more of a restaurant, but for me, wine really should be drunk alongside food. That’s when wine really comes into its own, and Brat’s a fantastic restaurant. 
   
• The Ivy – They’ve got fantastic wine lists, which are approachable no matter what you can afford. They’ve got a really interesting and diverse list of wines across the group, so I always know I can get something good. 
   
• Hide – It is fabulous.  
   
• José on Bermondsey Street – I love Spanish wine, that’s where I cut my teeth as a buyer and it’s an area that we’ll really be focusing on. I’ve got a great Spanish buyer on the team, and we’ve got a really interesting portfolio. 

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