Pictured above: Tom Stopford Sackville, Fine Wine Director at Goedhuis Waddesdon

Following in the footsteps of his father, who was Non-Executive Chairman of then-Goedhuis & Co in the 80s, Tom Stopford Sackville has been a key piece of the Goedhuis Waddesdon puzzle for 35 years, through continental relocation and company mergers (Goedhuis & Co and Waddesdon Wine merged in November 2023). Following stints at Adelaide Hills' Petaluma winery and Bordeaux négociant, Compagnie Médocaine, Tom became Managing Director of Goedhuis & Co in 2005 and played a paramount role in establishing its Hong Kong office during the 2000s. Now based back in London, he is a self-proclaimed cinephile, a regular at Stamford Bridge, and a Bob Dylan fanatic.

Read on to discover the Hong Kong wine list on people’s lips and why Tom has his eyes on Margaret River.

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

Tom Stopford Sackville: I absolutely 100% don’t have a "house wine". I drink different things as often as possible. I have been drinking more Margaret River Chardonnays than white Burgundies lately, but when it comes to reds I am drinking more Pinot Noir than anything else. It doesn’t have to come from Burgundy but given the make-up of my cellar, it often does. If it does come from Burgundy, it doesn’t always have to be Premier or Grand Cru. Lesser cuvées from top growers, like Ghislaine Barthod’s Bourgogne Rouge, or Méo Camuzet’s Marsannay feature. Although the last two bottles I opened at home were a 2020 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett and a 2016 Rosso di Montalcino from Salvioni. Both in a great place.

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

TSS: I don’t drink spirits at all, so if I’m not drinking wine, I normally go for something non-alcoholic. Something like a Lucky Saint or an Asahi 0.0%, or one of Matthew Juke’s excellent Cordialities. Fizzy water rather than still.

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

TSS: A wine made with passion and integrity, true to its terroir and grape variety. Doesn’t have to be expensive to be fine. But I don’t really use the term. Who does?

WL: The best restaurant wine list in London (and / or Hong Kong)?

TSS: Recent visits to Hide and Noble Rot impressed, although I often take stuff from my cellar and happily pay corkage, and make sure anyone interested at the restaurant gets to taste it if its any good. In Hong Kong there is so much BYO that it's tough for restauranteurs to have big lists and storage is at a premium, so most of the good lists sit with the hotels. But it sounds like Club Bâtard is doing a pretty good job. I haven’t been yet.

WL: What emerging region are you most excited about?

TSS: Margaret River. Although it’s been emerging for a long time, I’m continually impressed by the Chardonnays (I think 2023 could be the best vintage yet) and the recent improvement of the Cabs. It’s amazing how much noise it makes given they produce such a tiny percentage of the wines made in Australia. About 4% when I last checked.

WL: What is your standing on natural wine?

TSS: Not a big fan. I appreciate the skill of the winemaker and like young wines to taste fresh and vibrant.

WL: Your go-to wine shop?

TSS: I really don’t have one in London. The last time I bought wine from a wine shop was from Dunsborough Cellars which is our local when we are in Yallingup (Margaret River). They do a great job.

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

TSS: Bob Dylan. 1978 Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Cros Parantoux Henri Jayer. Although it would be great to have Henri there too.

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

TSS: I would be a trapeze artist.

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

TSS: Ox Hardy in South Australia. I knew Andrew ‘Ox’ Hardy from my time when I was a cellar rat at Petaluma Winery (Adelaide Hills) during the 1989 vintage, so was great to become his UK agent 30 years later.