Philippe is much in demand as a writer, broadcaster, tour guide and after-dinner speaker. His first series of columns for wine-pages looks at great restaurants for wine-lovers.






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Philippe Boucheron

Un-resconstructed bon viveur Philippe Boucheron says that "Wine is a way of life". Around 15 years ago he began broadcasting, organising tastings and taking groups from the Sunday Times Wine Club and other organisations to vineyards as far apart as Champagne and the Cape. He was the 1996 Wine Guild of the United Kingdom Wine Guild's Regional Wine Writer of the Year, and is a former vice chairman of The Circle of Wine Writers. He is committed to improving the standards of communication about wines and spirits and is involved in promoting awareness of the health giving properties of red wine.

His enthusiasm for the finer things in life - especially wine, food and cigars - brings him to wine-pages where he will explore the UK's greatest restaurants for wine lovers amongst other topics close to his heart. In 1999, with Richard Earl of Bradford, he founded the Heart of England branch of the International Wine & Food Society and is currently the branch secretary. The Society has published his monograph on Growers' Champagne, which is understood to be the first book on this subject in the English language.

An enthusiastic Havana cigar connoisseur, Philippe also enjoys arranging splendid soirées at which an elegant dinner is concluded with a tutored 'smoke-in' of three choice Havanas accompanied by matching Cognacs, Ports or even Whiskies.

Philippe broadcasts for BBC radio and Television and writes for The Master's Table, Heathcoates and Cigar World amongst others. He leads tours through his own company, www.grapexpectations.com, as well as for Arblaster & Clarke, Bordeaux Direct, Diners' Club, British Airways Executive Club and The Sunday Times.