Wine Offer

Johnny Wheeler (Hf 80) is co-owner of the The Wine Company and he is delighted to be working with Uppingham once again to offer a fantastic promotion to OUs this Christmas. Here he explains how his love for Uppingham and wine have evolved and become interlinked over the years:

‘‘It was a time of great excitement and anticipation,’ recalls Johnny when looking back to his arrival at Uppingham, before the start of term in 1980. Johnny leapt from his parents’ car and headed up in to Highfield, trunk in tow, to begin this new phase of his life. As a sociable new boy, Johnny spared no time in making, what would turn out to be, life-long friends. ‘I was introduced to my Fag teacher in the year above, namely Richard Sunderland (Hf 79) and we soon became firm friends. Thirty years later he’s now married to my sister and I was his Best Man at their wedding!

‘The whole experience was a great social interchange. With fellow students coming from across the country and from all over the world, we soon learned how to relate well to others. ‘Uppingham for me, was like a fine wine, the longer you were there, the better it became. Uppingham instilled a positivity, confidence and a feeling of self-belief that’s always been with me. Uppingham taught us to push for what we wanted in life, and to believe that you could succeed, that’s been invaluable to me.’

Instead of going up to University, Johnny headed to Knox Grammar School in Sydney as part of an exchange programme organised by Uppingham. The opportunity would be one which would influence his life forever. Johnny was meant to stay for a year, but extended his stay far longer. ‘I discovered a passion for the region’s wine industry while I was there, and have since acquired Clayvin Vineyard, the leading Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand.’

On returning to England Johnny decided it was time to join the family business - Wine. Five generations of his family before him had managed in the wine trade, which started life in Colchester, in 1854. 25 years on, and Johnny is Chairman of The Wine Company, a national mail order business, making excellent use of his wealth of wine knowledge. Johnny’s ambitious outlook, fostered while at Uppingham, saw him establish a leading fine wine investment service in addition to his work for The Wine Company, and the development of his interests in New Zealand wine production. Johnny also initiated the creation of Vinothèque, now widely recognised as one of the UK’s top two fine wine storage facilities. ‘I’m still passionate about sport, which is why I still personally enjoy looking after the fine wine interests of many of England’s top sports personalities.’

While working at The Wine Company, Johnny met and married Carine, whose French family had been running the excellent Michel Guilleminot champagne house in the Valle de l’Aube in France for three generations. ‘The family own 12 hectares of stunning vineyard and produce a delicious 100% Pinot Noir champagne which we’re proud to sell at The Wine Company.’

Johnny’s love of wine, and his dedication to preserving his connections to Uppingham has encouraged him to agree to personally select two of his favourite wines, and offer them exclusively to Uppingham. ‘In this special Christmas offer I’ve chosen two delicious wines from the Languedoc, one of the most exciting wine areas in France offering particularly good value. The white is a delicious 2009 ‘Grand Vin’ Chardonnay, which is as good as premier cru white burgundy but at less than half the price. The red is a stunning barrel-aged Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary 2009 vintage produced in partnership with Patrick Léon who was winemaker at first growth Bordeaux Château Mouton Rothschild. The soft full, ripe summer berry flavours, together with smooth tannins, make this wine a really impressive choice this winter.’

‘Both wines are perfect for the festive season and will be drinking extremely well over Christmas and throughout 2012.’

‘My years at Uppingham were unforgettable, and they helped form my character today. I am keen to support the continued development of the School and its incredible existing and planned facilities. On a more personal level, I would very much like to reconnect with OUs and share my passion for many of the world’s best wines, that I’ve been lucky enough to experience.’