Desperate for a job - any job! - after graduating with an MA in Geography from Edinburgh University, Julie leapt at the offer to join a small wine company. A passion for wine was born and a successful career in the wine trade launched - Head of Wine at Guinness (Belfast), Wine Development Manager for Scottish & Newcastle and Wine Manager for the Sunday Times Wine Club. 

Responsibilities embraced buying, marketing and training (ask Julie to tell you about the wine courses she ran for InterCity stewards!) One of her favourite jobs, though, was stock control of the royal Cellars on board Britannia!

A lifelong ambition to write about wine was realized in 1992 when two local newspapers asked her to write regular columns. Julie is now the drinks correspondent for the Daily Express, contributes regularly to BBC Good Food Magazine and the Easy Wine Guide (Websters), writes a monthly internet wine magazine for ItsWine.com and writes weekly for Handbag.com. She also writes occasionally for Wine Magazine, the Daily Telegraph, Decanter.com and Sainsbury's Magazine amongst many others.

Julie has written two books: New World Wines: The Complete Guide (Cassell) and Classic Rum (Prion). The paperback edition of New World Wines has recently been published and Classic Rum has been translated into Danish!

Julie is regularly involved in both television and radio work spanning the worlds of drink, food and travel, presenting or guesting in programmes for BBC1, BBC2, Channel 5, BSkyB, Carlton Food Network, BBC World Service Television, BBC News 24, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and local radio.

A frequent speaker, Julie adopts a no-nonsense, fun approach to wine tastings and is willing and able to tackle all drinks subjects, tailoring her presentation to suit any audience. She has lectured on the QE2 (Cunard) and the Black Watch (Fred Olsen) and and will be a celebrity guest on board the Aurora (P&O) this autumn. She also appears at the BBC Good Food Show, represents the UK on the international panelof judges at the annual Hungarian "Bor Mustra", an important blind wine tasting competition, and works regularly for the Sainsbury's Magazine Gourmet Club.

Instrumental in designing the Passport To Wine & Food weekends for CenterParcs, Julie is available as an expert consultant. She also offers a popular wine tasting package for corporate bodies who are looking for something different to entertain clients or employees.

Awards include prizes for the WSET Higher Certificate and Diploma exams, and a Brown Brothers Scholarship. 

Motivational Speaker | Keynote Speaker | Awards Hosts | Conference Speaker