Julie Arkell

Instrumental in designing and running the successful Passport To Wine & Food weekends for CenterParcs, Julie is available as an expert consultant.

She also offers popular wine tasting packages for corporate bodies who are looking for something different with which to entertain clients or employees.

Profile

JULIE ARKELL is a wine writer who has worked in the wine trade for a number of years - she was Head of Wine at Arthur Guinness, Regional Wine Development Manager for Scottish & Newcastle Breweries and Manager of the Sunday Times Wine Club.

She began writing about wine in 1992, and had her own column in the Saturday Express. She has also contributed to The Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Express Magazine, Sainsbury's Magazine, amongst many others.

Julie is regularly involved in both television and radio work spanning the worlds of drink, food and travel, presenting or guesting on programmes for BBC1, BBC2, Channel 5, GSkyB, Carlton Food Network, BBC World Service Television, BBC News 24, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and local radio. She has written Classic Rum, New World Wines: The Complete Guide, The Wine Drinker's Handbook, Need to Know? Wine and Collins Gem:Wine and co-wrote Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure.

Biography

Desperate for a job - any job! - after graduating with an MA from Edinburgh University, Julie leapt at the offer to join a small wine company. A passion for wine was born and a successful career in the wine trade launched - Wine Manager at Guinness Belfast, Wine Development Manager for Scottish & Newcastle and Wine Manager for The Sunday Times Wine Club. Responsibilities embraced buying, marketing and training, but one of her favourite jobs was stock control of the Royal Cellars on board HMY Britannia.

A lifelong ambition to write about wine was realized in 1992 when two local newspapers asked her to write regular columns. Julie has been the drinks correspondent for the Daily Express, has held a monthly for Candis magazine and contributes to At Home With Antony Worrall Thompson, www.handbag.com and www.jancisrobinson.com.

She has also written for BBC Good Food Magazine, Wine International, Harpers, Decanter, The Daily Telegraph, Sainsbury's Magazine and Websters Publishing, amongst many others. Julie has written five books: New World Wines: The Complete Guide (Cassell), Classic Rum (Prion), Wine, A Comprehensive Guide To Drinking And Appreciating Wine (New Holland) and Need To Know: Wine (HarperCollins) and the Collins Gem: Wine. She also co-wrote Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure.

Julie has been involved in both television and radio work spanning the worlds of drink, food and travel, and has presented or guested in programmes for BBC1, BBC2, Channel 5, BSkyB, Carlton Food Network, BBC World Service Television, BBC News 24, BBC Radio Two, BBC Radio Four, BBC Radio Five Live and many local radio stations.

Speaking

A frequent speaker, Julie adopts a no-nonsense, fun approach to wine tastings and is willing and able to tackle all drinks subjects, tailoring her presentation to suit any audience. She has lectured on the QE2 (Cunard), the Black Watch (Fred Olsen) and Aurora and Atemis (P&O), and conducts many consumer tastings for leading UK supermarkets. She has also appeared at the BBC Good Food Show, and judges at the annual Bor Mustra, the New York Classic, Decanter World Wine Awards and the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

Awards include prizes for the WSET Higher Certificate and Diploma exams, and a Brown Brothers MW Scholarship. Julie is Chairman of The Circle of Wine Writers.