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| Photo: Courtesy Telegraph |
This exalted position is an honourary post that goes to a distinguished vintner
and is the ultimate position that a wine lover could hope for in England.
For any wine or liquor service, the Royal Sommelier does the pouring but
the wine list is under the control of the Clerk.
The 50-year old Simon owns the family business of BBR since pre-French
revolution. Berry Bros. and Rudd is the oldest off-trade firm of wine
merchants in UK, if not in the world- and the most prestigious one.
With centuries of experience and respect behind, the firm has been modernising
itself with times. Today, it has a temperature controlled wine storage
warehouse that stores 3.5 million bottles at a given point, ranging from
a quaffable Bordeaux costing under £7 to the most expensive bottle
of Burgundy - a DRC 2003 costing £ 6400 ( over Rs. 5 lakhs). An
1834 Tokaj- sweet wine from Hungary is the oldest resident in his store
near St. James Palace.
The firm also does a significant business on the Net as also En Primeur
because of its solid reputation. Says Mark Walford, a wine merchant specialising
in premium Bordeaux wines, who has known Simon for many years, 'It is
fitting that Simon Berry who has overseen the revitalisation of BBR in
recent years should have been appointed to the most prestigious post in
the English wine trade. He combines being a traditionalist with having
an acute eye for the future."
Simon Berry, an otherwise a very private person, is naturally elated.
A subscriber and regular reader of delWine he tells Subhash Arora , "It's
a great honour, both for me and BB&R as a whole, to be offered this
important post. Wine plays an important part in the many banquets and
receptions that take place at the Royal Palaces throughout the UK, especially
when Her Majesty the Queen is entertaining guests from abroad. I look
forward to making sure that the Royal Cellars are suitably stocked."
His wine expertise will come in handy when the Queen has international
state guests. She and the most immediate family are neither fussy drinkers
nor known as wine lovers. Simon, as all royal office holders, is tight
lipped about his role and what the Royal cellars hold or the drinking
habits of the royal family.
Incidentally, Simon loves 1961 vintage of the third growth of Bordeaux,
Margaux –based Chateau Palmer, 'which just blows your socks off.'
Bernard de Laage de Meux, their Director Development had been in Delhi
last November, when several chateau wines including the comparatively
young 1995 was the oldest vintage tasted.
Perhaps, one day Simon might share the open secrets of the Royal Cellars
with our viewers. For the time being, one can only wish him luck on his
new assignment.
Subhash Arora
January 10, 2008
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