An interview with wine expert, Mark Savage

We all enjoy the occasional glass of wine, but few people savor each sip quite like wine expert Mark Savage. He’s the founder of wine supplier Savage Selection. His passion for wine began with running wine appreciation societies in both high school and college, and eventually led him to source high-quality vintages from carefully selected, often small-scale producers. A Master of Wine since 1980, he tends to value a wine’s delicacy and finesse more than sheer power. We caught up with Mark Savage to learn more about what inspires him and how he brings our favorite wines from the vineyard to our tables!

Mark Savage, wine is at the heart of who you are. When and why did you first get interested in wine, and how has that interest lasted so long?

My interest in wine was first sparked when I read Hugh Johnson’s book Wine—I must have been about 15. I started buying half bottles with my pocket money from the local Peter Dominic shop, things like a 1962 Château Bel Orme Tronquoy de Lalande. My tasting note from 1966 reads: “exceptionally good value, with the characteristic floweriness of the ’62s…” That bottle cost 16 shillings, which I believe equates to around 80 pence today, not adjusting for inflation.

Around the same time, I tried another lesser-known claret: a 1961 Clos Pressac from Saint-Émilion, also about 16 shillings. I noted that it “compared rather poorly with the ’62 Bel Orme… the ’61s are slower to mature, though I doubt that was the real reason.” In 1967, I tasted a 1962 Pichon Longueville Baron, which I found “most disappointing, dusty, lacking finesse, dull, even unpleasant. 28 shillings.” A more glowing review went to a 1959 Cos d’Estournel, bottled by Lebègue rather than the château itself: “a deservedly famous wine… 21 shillings.” This early passion led me, along with three classmates, to establish a wine appreciation society at Ampleforth, a Benedictine monastery school in North Yorkshire. It might have been a clever way to sneak alcohol in under some kind of official pretense.

Next, at Oxford, I quickly sought out a wine-tasting group and soon found myself climbing the ranks of the Oxford University Wine Circle, treasurer, secretary, president, and so on. It was a wonderful way to taste a lot of excellent wine on someone else’s dime, music to any student’s ears. I was also part of the Oxford University wine tasting team alongside Charles Metcalfe and Oz Clarke. Our team remained undefeated during our time together, a testament, I suppose, to the many hours of rigorous training we put in! My passion for wine has remained strong over the years, largely because there’s always more to learn. Every year, new and original wines emerge from across the globe, and you never quite reach the end of the story.

You’re an acknowledged wine expert, a Master Of Wine. I think all our readers will be dying for a recommendation or three!

I always try to avoid being introduced as a wine expert. In my experience, most people who call themselves wine experts don’t know as much as they think they do. That said, I’m happy to admit that I’ve built up many years of experience, which isn’t quite the same thing. I’ve spent what might be considered an excessive amount of time visiting vineyards and cellars across much of the wine-producing world, and I still do. That means I’m typically out of the UK at least once or twice a month, working directly with around 50 small, family-owned and operated wine farms in about a dozen countries.

When it comes to recommendations, I think it’s always worthwhile to encourage people to try something new, to nudge them out of their comfort zones and show them that some of the best values can be found in lesser-known regions. We want to open their eyes and share some of the passion and enjoyment that drives us.

Your philosophy of wine and the business you have built with it, Savage Selection, is around seeking out the smaller, local, non corporate wine producers around the world. How do you find them? And how difficult is it for them to thrive and compete in a globalized world of multinational brands?

I don’t believe it’s a problem for small growers to compete in today’s global wine market, especially because there’s a growing segment of individual wine enthusiasts who are seeking quality over quantity, rather than simply buying for the mass market. The challenge for a good small producer is to consistently create wines that are inherently more distinctive and interesting than those from the big-name brands. If they can’t do that, they may be in the wrong profession, or the wrong place.

How do I find the best producers? Honestly, luck plays a part. But, as with most things, you get luckier the more you keep your eyes and ears open and spend time in the vineyard regions themselves. That’s why I can justify spending about 20% of my time (roughly one day out of five) in vineyards. I’d gladly spend even more time there, but I’m also mindful that I have to sell every bottle I buy. That takes time too, on different roads, and with all kinds of people. In the end, it always comes back to the same thing: finding the right people. People who won’t waste the increasingly limited and valuable time we all have.

Are there any wines in any TravelLocal destinations you can recommend?

I have to admit, I don’t have any firsthand experience in South America, and at this stage in life, I doubt I’ll be investing the time and energy needed to do the on-the-ground legwork in China. I’m happy to leave that to the next generation of wine sleuths.

South Africa, however, has been a regular destination of mine, long before the end of apartheid. I was actually born in Africa, though in Uganda, which isn’t exactly known for its vineyards. I truly believe South Africa is a natural paradise for viticulture, offering an ideal climate, diverse soils, and some spectacular vineyard locations. It has a rich history of winemaking, and the last 25 years have seen remarkable progress in both quality and innovation. It’s still one of my absolute favorite wine destinations. No other wine region, in my opinion, is more beautiful, and for those of us in post-Brexit Britain, the exchange rate is a real bonus. It’s a brilliant holiday spot for so many reasons: stunning scenery, excellent wine and food, warm hospitality, and that favorable exchange rate that often makes it feel more affordable than staying home.

Looking ahead, some other fantastic wine and travel destinations worth considering, if you haven’t already, include Greece, Slovenia, Sicily and Austria, just to name a few.

Georgia has a fair claim on being the world’s oldest wine producer, with evidence going back about 6,000 years. Have you ever been there to verify that claim, and what do you think of the Georgian wines you’ve tried?

I don’t have much firsthand experience yet, and I haven’t had the chance to visit, but the Caucasus region has a credible claim to being the cradle of viticulture. It clearly holds strong potential for producing excellent wine, especially as vineyard and cellar management techniques continue to modernize. Georgians are said to have remarkably long lifespans, maybe that’s thanks to all the good wine they drink!

Mark Savage, you have an unusual life story. Growing up in Uganda, can you tell us a little about some of your most poignant and unusual childhood memories of those days?

Looking back, I’d say I had an unusual (but very happy) childhood. I spent ten years living in a country without electricity at home, without flushing toilets, and with probably less than 30 miles of paved roads in the entire nation. I’ve always felt a strong pull to return, especially since, unlike most of my travels, I wouldn’t be tempted to visit vineyards there.

The first wine I can remember drinking was actually a decent white from South Africa, La Gratitude, a well-known label at the time, which I believe came from the Stellenbosch Wine Farmers or whatever they were called back then. Funny enough, just a year ago I was invited to lead a tasting for the Stellenbosch Wine Society, whose members include many current and former wine professionals, winemakers, and writers. When I mentioned that La Gratitude was the first wine I ever drank, a man in the audience chimed in to say he had once been responsible for making it!

You have traveled the world on your quest to find excellent local wine producers. Which are your favorite anecdotes from those travels?

I hardly know where to begin, this probably deserves a book of memoirs someday. The greatest reward in the wine business isn’t financial (making money is notoriously difficult), but rather the friendships formed around the world and the privilege of tasting the fruits of others’ remarkable dedication. Truly great wines aren’t made by people chasing profits or ego. They’re made by those who are deeply passionate about getting the very best from the vineyards they steward.

Vineyards and cellars are full of remarkable people, warm, generous characters who love nothing more than to share their passion. My own personal odyssey has been a constant journey along the world’s wine roads, with the richest experiences often found off the beaten path. Still, I must say that I’ve learned more from one individual in Bordeaux than from anyone else. I owe a great debt to François Mitjavile of Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf in Saint-Émilion. Over 38 consecutive vintages, his wines have taught me a great deal, not just about the difference between good and truly great wine, but also about life.

More than anything, I’ve cherished his conversation on topics far beyond wine, philosophy, politics, art, literature, and music. Through him, I’ve come to understand what culture really means.

On the other side of the world, I’ve also had the privilege of witnessing the evolution of Oregon’s wine industry over nearly 40 years. There, in that pioneering spirit, I found something just as inspiring. David Lett at Eyrie Vineyards embodied a fierce belief in authenticity and a true sense of place. Watching his determination and vision unfold has left me feeling as though a piece of my soul lives in Oregon. Great wine is more than just a reflection of the land, it’s deeply emotional, shaped by the extraordinary people who devote themselves to unlocking the full potential of their vineyard sites.

Mark Savage, we share your ‘buy local’ philosophy and believe that local advice is best to discover the real character of a country. Have you any particularly memorable experiences which resulted from advice you got from local people?

Being physically present in a wine region gives me the best chance of discovering something truly special. Often, a generous grower might suggest someone they think is right up my alley. Other times, it’s a tip from a local restaurant with a strong regional wine list that leads me in the right direction. For example, when I once asked Daniel Ravier at Domaine Tempier in Bandol if he knew anyone making wine solely from the Cinsault grape, he asked if I was familiar with Mas des Chimères in Languedoc. I made it a point to reach out to them, and we ended up adding their wines to our list. These are the kind of quirky, occasionally inconsistent, artisanal wines that are often fragile in terms of stability, wines a typical supermarket buyer would likely avoid at all costs. They require hands-on selling and a certain level of trust between the merchant and the customer.

Another case: about 15 years ago, I was on the hunt for a standout Grüner Veltliner in Austria. Every one of my small growers there independently pointed me toward Bernhard Ott, describing him as “Mr. Grüner Veltliner.” I took their advice, and today we sell every bottle he allocates to us for the UK market. Then there are those rare leads from a great restaurant. One of the best came during a visit to a remote hilltop town in the Langhe region near Barolo in Piedmont. I was dining alone at the wonderful Locanda dell’Arco in Cissone and asked the owner, Giuseppe Giardini, to recommend a Barbera, I wasn’t in the mood for splurging on a bottle of Barolo or Barbaresco that night. He asked if I’d heard of a winemaker named Silvano Bolmida. I hadn’t, and asked him to waste no time opening a bottle.

As he decanted it, I worried he might have misunderstood my taste, the dark liquid suggested a potentially over-extracted style I tend to dislike. But one sniff changed everything. I was hooked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to track Bolmida down before flying home via Turin. So, as soon as I got back to my desk, I looked him up and sent him an email. To my surprise, I got a long, detailed reply. I returned to Piedmont as soon as I could to learn more about his work, and we’ve since built a relationship that’s been immensely rewarding for both sides. We now buy a substantial portion of his production from his tiny five-hectare holding of Barbera and Nebbiolo vines. In fact, just this morning I received an order for 20 magnums of his outstanding Barolo.

 

About Mark Savage:

Based in the Cotswold town of Northleach, England, Savage Selection source high quality wines from over 50 producers, typically small family enterprises with whom they develop strong relationships, rather than mass-producing factories. They place great importance on independence, as it is a natural and necessary link with originality, and select growers who share their beliefs in what is essential in producing real, meaningful wines. These boutique wines are chosen by wine expert, Mark Savage.