Xavier Rousset fell in love with wine on a family holiday in Collioure. After writing to fellow Frenchman Gérard Basset, one of the world’s most famous sommeliers, he got a job for a month at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester and has never looked back. A Master Sommelier at the age of 23, he is now an entrepreneur and businessman, running five different restaurants in London, but serving customers is still what he enjoys most.

To read more about Xavier have a look at the Blandford Comptoir website. You can also follow him on Instagram at @rousset.x.

Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify as well as Apple Podcasts, where you can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.