This month our spotlight falls on Lorena De Andrade who works in our On-Trade sales team.
Q: Tell us a bit about you and your role at Corney & Barrow?
I was born in Brazil and at the age of 22 I moved to London. London is one of the busiest cities in the world, so I had no idea what I was getting myself in to!. After a few jobs, I had my first contact with the wine world, I had visited many countries, I had met a lot of people along the journey, and so my whole outlook in life in general changed. Fast forward a few years, here I am, venturing myself in to the wine world, working at one of the longest established independent Wine Merchants in the UK.
This is now my idea of success. I never settle for less, and I never will. I never accept “no” as an answer, and trust me, there have been so many times where I have had to put up the fight of my life to get to where I am.
My job at Corney & Barrow is to sell wines, and my mission? Trying to make wine attractive and interesting to a younger audience and disperse the snobbery that can often be associated with the world of wine.
Q:What types of customers do you look after and where are they based?
I look after the On-Trade sales, so my customers are generally bars, restaurants and hotels. I cover London area but the majority of my accounts are around the Mayfair area.
Q:How did you end up working in wine? Did you always have a passion for wine?
I can’t claim that when I was younger I always dreamed of working in the wine industry, especially coming from Brazil, a country that has only recently started to become known for its wines. But it really has turned out to be a dream job. I remember having my first wine masterclass, working as a waitress in a restaurant, tasting the delightful flavors and aromas of a Burgundy Pinot Noir, and I knew I was keen to know more.
Q) What has been your favourite wine experience so far and why?
All the vineyard visits are a very special experience. The Tour De L’Eveque vineyards holds a particularly special place in my heart, as this was the destination for my very first wine tour with Corney & Barrow.
Q: What would be your desert island wine and why?
This is a tough question, as I tend to change my mind about my favourite wines according to my mood, but today I would choose Meursault Les Tillets Domaine Pierre Labet. This is a delicate, floral and moreish style of Meursault that I’ve been enjoying quite a lot lately.
When you are not selling or tasting wine what might we find you doing?
I love wines, consequently I also love food. When I am off I enjoy cooking and thinking which wine would work well with the food I am preparing, even if I don’t always crack open a bottle. I also love to be close to nature so you might also find me walking my dog in the park or doing yoga, or reading a book. I like to keep busy, I will always be doing something.
