Two Minutes With... Carolyn Holmes, Senior Specialist, Wine

How did you become interested in wine?
I was the Beverage Manager at Brooks' on St. James's so I managed their amazing cellar. Their wine committee consisted of notable wine figures including Michael Broadbent, Cyril Ray and Harry Waugh who suggested I take the Wines & Spirit Education Trust exams. I was hooked!

If you were washed up on a desert island and could only have one bottle of wine, what would it be?
Dom Perignon Rosé 1996, it’s great for the beach!

Where in the world has being a wine specialist taken you?
I spent a year in charge of the wine department in Los Angeles and have taken sales in Amsterdam. My interest in wine has taken me to vineyards and producers all over the world.

What is the most exciting wine you have ever sold?
Recently we sold 6 bottles of Romanée Conti 1990 for £56,250 and, from a superb collection of Hermitage La Chapelle, 12 bottles of the 1961 vintage which realised a record-breaking £123,750.

Where is your favourite vineyard?
My friend François Faverot de Kerbrech at Domaine Faverot has idyllic vineyards in the Luberon, where you can flop into the infinity pool after a hard day picking the delicious old vine Syrah.

Red or white?
It would have to be red: Echézeaux 1990 G & H Jayer or Château Latour 1988

What are your buying recommendations for this year?
Burgundy and Rhône are usually good value at auction, as are the finer Italian wines. Bordeaux from the less stellar vintages of the late 1990s and early 2000s look very attractive price wise, for current drinking.

What are you looking for this year and what should people consider selling?
There is still an international demand for good quality Claret.