Q&A: Elly Owen, wine director, The Old Garage

Elly Owen has a momentum that would put Usain Bolt to shame: winner of the Imbibe Sommelier of the Year award  2020, Owen has worked for the Champagne Academy and celebrity chef  Paul Ainsworth, in addition to moonlighting as a WSET educator and freelance wine consultant. Meanwhile, a mutually advantageous partnership with Julian and Lucy Chenoweth gave birth to one of Cornwall's finest indies, The Old Garage,  renowned for its esoteric drops and super-friendly service. Over a glass of Aglianico, she talks to James Lawrence about her first harvest, Michelin-starred kitchens and the new face of Australian wine

What vintage are you?

A Terrantez Madeira: lots of energy, vibrant and gets better with age – less a particular vintage and more only available in certain years.

Were your parents into wine, or did the passion emerge later in life?

My passion for wine came later in life for sure. My dad loves pubs and good food, but the wine association came during my early 20s and felt like a voyage of new discovery for me.

You're one of the UK's most successful freelance sommeliers. Tell us more about your career journey.

My journey started in France where I lived for a bit, beginning to share bottles with friends and the dialogue between us about what we thought about the wines. I did the vendange over there but it wasn't until Fifteen that it all began to come together. I honestly think that if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been able to achieve what I have. I was able to be 100% myself and develop a passion for sharing wine.

It taught me not just about wine but about how to talk to people and communicate the complex subject of wine in an easy and accessible manner. After a period of 10 years there, I went to Paul Ainsworth and this felt like honing my talent. It was fantastic to learn the discipline of working at a Michelin-starred restaurant and being able to guide the team and help shape the wine offering. It was such an amazing opportunity. 

So what happened next?

After Paul’s I stepped into retail for a bit and continued to build on my freelance sommelier work. This has seen me run bars for food festivals and create teams to help push the wine offering. I still think that having a skilled sales team for wine can be hugely underrated and in commercial landscapes, such as food festivals, having a curated bar can be fantastic. I also do lots of wine education and teach hospitality at a local college, focusing on front of house. I do strongly believe that my work in the industry as a sommelier also gives me a good standing to be able to help the industry from a FOH perspective.

Why did you decide to become an SWA judge?

I became an SWA quite a few years ago, and I loved it. I find meeting people specialising in our industry, working with peers, and having discussions and conversations about wine infinitely fascinating. This is something that has not faded. Add in that you get to taste and see the value of some amazing wine (sometimes some not so amazing) and it is always an opportunity that is never lost on me.

Do you think the industry has changed a lot since you first started your wine journey?

I think it has but I think we are in a really interesting period in hospitality and it's cutthroat out there. Wine keeps streamlining itself and I think that the communication we have as an industry sometimes doesn’t quite reach the wider public and consumers.  But maybe this is an age-old adage and something we have struggled to always do.

It has been interesting to see the different contingents across the world of wine. I just hope that we all get to keep creating a diverse and inclusive environment. I think we still have a long way to go on this in all reality.

Do you feel stakeholders are doing enough to attract a more diverse workforce?

I think they do because there must be recognition of this, which is great. I would hope that we are creating a culture which is genuine and not a tick-box exercise. Wine is a diverse subject with such a rich story and tapestry that it would make sense that we have as many people to tell it, in as many different ways as possible. We have to look at the fundamentals in order to create embedded change and we are making headway, it will be exciting to see where this will lead. But I think there is more to be done, of course.

What is your favourite Friday night tipple?

I love a glass of red. It doesn’t need to be fancy – I just love the comfort of it at the end of the week. Something Italian normally does the trick though.

What wine region – or grape – do you feel deserves more attention?

I still absolutely love modern Australian wines, especially those with a penchant for slightly more interesting grape varieties. I think it’s a bit of a shame they haven’t quite got the momentum they deserve, yet. I hope they continue to be experimental and look forward to being able to enjoy them now and in the future.

Finally – what are your life goals for 2025?

I am becoming a vintner, which is pretty epic, so I’m looking forward to that as part of my 2025 journey. I would love to be able to take wine communication to the next level and do some telly perhaps. But as long as I get to keep talking wine and enjoying the ride then all is good!