HOW DID IT ALL START?
Inspiring Wines was started in the summer of 2016 by Dean Spencer it’s Director, after many years of going on about it!
The original seed was sown several years earlier at the kitchen table when Dean and lifelong friend Derek Wootton, now the company marketing ‘guru’, were well on their way to polishing off a second bottle when the idea came about. Exactly who’s idea it was is still contested between the two of them, especially when they get to that ‘second bottle’ stage… Dean picks up the story:
“I loved the idea of starting a wine company with a difference but did very little about it except keep banging on to anyone who’d listen, whilst at the same time moaning in equal measure about how much I didn’t really enjoy what I did as a job anymore…So late in 2015, bored with listening to me keep going on, I got an ultimatum from my family to “put up or shut up!” Go and do it, they said, because you’ll never know if you don’t try. (Although I think secretly they just wanted me to stop going on about it…) oh and they added, you’re not getting any younger!
And so I jacked a well paid job in and Inspiring Wines was born, I had a background in wine service, as did Derek, both having spent early careers (back in the dark ages) in the hospitality business. We’d managed kitchens, bars and restaurants and even did a stint as Wine Stewards on board ship way back when Blue Nun was a popular choice! (..a story for another day!). However I was acutely aware that was quite a long time ago and there was much to learn. So, I ordered a shed load of books from Amazon and started reading… lots of books, many late nights and a formal qualification in wine later (there is a certificate on the wall and everything!) we were ready to start creating the website and searching for great wines to put on it. The ethos of Inspiring Wines has always been to ‘inspire’ people to try new wines, so many great wines rarely get the recognition they deserve in the UK and we are here to address the injustice…
We launched the site in the middle of 2016 and whilst it has been tough at times, (I’ve had a wobble on numerous occasions if I’d done the right thing!) I have loved every minute of it, I am learning everyday and look forward to finding and adding lots of new and exciting wines as we move forward. I sincerely hope you enjoy seeking out great new wines as much as I do.”
Cheers all, hope you enjoy Inspiring Wines
Dean Spencer
