Wine expert from Northumberland's Pine named among UK’s top 50 for third year
A Northumberland wine expert has become the only in the North East to be listed in the prestigious Harper’s Top 50 Sommelier list.
Vanessa Stoltz, restaurant manager and head sommelier at Pine, has been named in the list for a third consecutive year, ranking at number 17.
The Harper’s list showcases the rich talent within the UK’s sommelier community and serves as the ultimate recognition of excellence in this vital sector of the hospitality industry.
The judging process spans over two days and evaluates various factors, including innovation and creativity regarding the wine lists submitted, as well as a wide range of skills and activities that enhance the overall drinks offering.
Harper’s top 50 acknowledgement remarks: ‘’Alsace-born Stoltz followed in her father’s footsteps, working her way up the sommelier ladder in fine-dining restaurants in France, Germany and the UK, before landing the role of head sommelier at this Northumbrian shrine to all that’s good about British Food and wine.
"Sustainability is to the fore with all that Stoltz sources, with well-made, often lower-intervention domestic wines taking the lead on a European-biased list, where every bottle must come with a splash of transparency and real value.”
Vanessa said:: ‘’Making the Harper's Sommelier list for a third year running means more to me than I can say.
"Wine has always been about connection for me, to place, to people, to the food on the plate, and to have that recognised alongside another listing this year is genuinely humbling. I'm so grateful to the team at Pine for giving me the space to build a list I'm proud of.’’
Sian Byerley, Pine's co-owner and operations director, commented: ‘’Vanessa's third consecutive year on the Harper's list and the only sommelier to represent the North East is exactly the kind of recognition we hoped she'd get. She's earned every bit of it.
"What she's built here at Pine, from the wine list to the way she connects with every table, reflects the same values we hold dear as a restaurant. We're incredibly proud of her, and this is just further proof of the talent we get to work alongside every day.”