Pictured above: Jamie Ritchie, COO of BlockBar

Hailing from the UK but based in the US since 1994, Jamie Ritchie’s influence extends across both sides of the pond and beyond. Establishing a passion for wine while working at bars and restaurants during his law degree, he started his career at London’s Brinkley's Wines before joining Sotheby's in 1990. After almost 33 years at the renowned auction house, during which time Jamie worked his way up to be Worldwide Chairman of Wines & Spirits, he moved on to pastures new in 2023. As of recently, Jamie has been residing in Miami and has started his new role as COO at BlockBar (a start-up blockchain marketplace, worlds away from his previous post at centuries-old Sotheby’s).

Winston Churchill is now officially the international wine trade's most-desired drinking partner. Read on to discover the top wine spots of Miami and a Côte de Nuits producer you should have on your radar.

Wine Lister: Tell us about your current "house wine".

Jamie Ritchie: One of the best things about the world of wine is the enormous variety from different regions and grape varieties, alongside the fun and interest of tasting wines from new producers - it encourages continuous exploration. I think this constant curiosity is a character trait for most of us who work in wine. Within this process of discovery, there are always some wines that enter the repertoire more frequently, such as the wines from Vignobles Denis Durantou (Denis was an absolute magician), Château de Fonbel, Domaine Jean-Paul & Benoît Droin’s Chablis, G.D. Vajra, and Paulo Scavino’s Barberas and Langhe Nebbiolo.

WL: What do you drink when you're not drinking wine?

JR: Lots of sparkling water, very dry negronis (ideally made with Ki No Bi, Campari and Bordiga’s Excelsior), an occasional refreshing mini-Corona when in Miami or a pint of Wadworth 6X when I am back in England to remind me of the happy days of my youth.

WL: What does "fine wine" mean to you?

JR: A wine that has a true sense of place and that is memorable for its quality.

WL: The best restaurant wine list in Miami?

JR: Cote, The Surf Club, La Petite Maison, Mila

WL: What emerging region are you most excited about?

JR: Bordeaux needs to re-emerge. Interest and engagement have been in decline but at the same time the quality has never been better and it offers great value from $20 up - the conversation has to get away from price and back to quality and the people behind the wine, but I suspect that will take some time due to the current distribution system.

Piedmont is also making better and better wines and defining its place in the market, with grape varieties that define the region.

WL: What is your standing on natural wine?

JR: Great wines are generally made by creating a naturally balanced ecosystem which results in healthy grapes requiring minimum intervention between vine and glass. I do not enjoy wines with faults and have had too many faulty wines that present themselves as “natural”. A “natural” wine can be excellent, but a wine whose selling point is “natural" is a deterrent for me.

WL: Your go-to wine shop in Miami?

JR: Maison Mura - Matthieu Yamoum, Philippe Vasilescu, and their team have created a classy, but unpretentious, experiential retail model that resonates with today’s collectors.

WL: If you could share a glass of wine with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you drink?

JR: Winston Churchill - I think you would be rewarded in every respect you can think of. It would have to be a vertical of Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill and then Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 (l'Année de la Victoire). You could not possibly only drink one wine with Winston.

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

JR: I wanted to be an actor, then in the sports world, but wine was my destiny, and I have been lucky to enjoy a wonderful career, meeting so many great people. I enjoy being at the forefront of innovation and was an intrapreneur at Sotheby’s. Now I am in an entrepreneurial role at BlockBar - I like to be part of the next evolution.

WL: To finish, can you share with our readers one producer to watch?

JR: I really like Camille Thiriet’s wines in the Côte de Nuits, Pooley in Tasmania, and am very interested to follow EPI’s developments at Isole e Olena.