Above: Ben Browett, Customer Reserves Manager at Farr Vintners (Hong Kong)

For the fifth instalment of our 'Fresh pour' series, we speak to Ben Browett, Customer Reserves Manager at Farr Vintners, who recently made a move from the merchant’s Wandsworth headquarters to its Hong Kong outpost. Before joining the trade, Ben completed harvests at the likes of Château Latour and Kumeu River, and trained as a sommelier at London's Chez Bruce, before joining Farr Vintners in 2016.

Ben shares the wine producers on his radar and gives his thoughts on how young people can shake up the fine wine trade - without ditching the traditional regions.

Wine Lister: What was the bottle that got you into wine?

Ben Browett: At sixteen, I tried a Yquem 2001 with dinner. It was like nothing I had ever had before.

WL: What is one misconception people have about the fine wine industry?

BB: That we are just drinking wine and visiting vineyards all day! Mostly, I’m talking with our customers; having a good relationship and being trusted by them is crucial.

 WL: A producer that you admire and why?

BB: Jean-Marie Guffens, the punk rocker of the wine world. Making Grand Cru-level white Burgundy in the Mâconnais, he bottles his negociant wines under screwcap - all the while completely, unabashedly speaking his mind.

WL: The fine wine trends you are most and least excited about?

BB: I’m really enjoying the trend towards light, aromatic reds served slightly chilled. Producers like Métras, Jean Foillard, Guy Breton in Beaujolais, and Comando G in Spain, all make some of the tastiest and most drinkable wines in unfashionable regions. Least? Wine in a can.

WL: Your favourite wine list in London?

BB: Unsurprisingly, Noble Rot. The list is obviously fantastic but the most impressive thing is the team, all equally knowledgeable and charming. A lot of the enjoyment of wine comes from learning something new and they make you feel comfortable enough to ask questions. Dan and Mark have changed the London wine-drinking scene massively for the better.

WL: What do you think young people can bring to the industry?

BB: New ideas, knowledge of what their peers want to drink, and an interest in new producers and regions. On the flip side of that, I’m enjoying introducing friends to Bordeaux and more traditional styles that have been slightly shunned in trendy London wine bars.

WL: Have you noticed any purchasing habits or stylistic preferences among the younger consumer group (ages 21-35)?

BB: Younger people are drinking less regularly. They aren’t drinking less, they save up their units for the weekend! It’s a bit of a myth that they want low-alcohol wine, just lighter-bodied, aromatic wines with higher acidity. They are drinking wine without food, so that acidity is needed to stop you from feeling tired after four glasses.

WL: How can fine wine producers appeal to the younger generation?

BB: Providing more information and not presuming that people already know; talk about where the wine came from and the people behind it. Natural wineries put the grape variety on the label, aren’t so wedded to corks, and try different winemaking techniques. While natural wines benefit from this, fine wine seems really hesitant to try it.

WL: The theme song to your career so far?

BB: I go out on Friday night and I come home on Saturday morning by The Special

WL: If you weren't working in wine, what would you be doing?

BB:  Journalism. Good reporting is needed now more than ever.