Where do you come from?
I originally come from Russia, where I studied Philology and spent the first part of my career working in Media, Communication, and Marketing. Since 2022, I have been based in Slovenia, which has become both my home and an important part of my professional life in wine.
What do you enjoy in life?
I enjoy stories — places, people, landscapes, and the way they shape wine. I love travelling, discovering new regions, and meeting growers whose personalities are reflected in their vineyards. Moments at the table with my family and friends are my favourite way to pause and reconnect.
What don’t you like?
I struggle with anything that lacks authenticity — in people, in wine, or in communication. I also don’t enjoy unnecessary noise or rush; I prefer depth, honesty, and clarity.
What do you like to eat and drink?
I love simple, well-made food with a sense of place: Mediterranean dishes, fresh vegetables,
seafood, handmade pasta. I’m especially drawn to artisanal food — products crafted with care, integrity, and a respect for tradition. In wine, I look for the same spirit: bottles shaped by terroir, energy, and thoughtful hands. Champagne, volcanic wines, and Alpine wines are my personal weaknesses. How did you get the idea of working in wine?
Wine appeared in my life gradually. After nine years in media and marketing, I joined the industry in 2011, first through wine retail and education. The more I learned, the more I realised how naturally wine connects language, culture, geography, and human stories — everything I had loved since university. It became clear that this was not just a profession, but a vocation.
What do you like in your job?
I love being the bridge between producers and new markets — translating their work, their philosophy, and their identity so that importers and consumers can truly understand the wines. I also enjoy building long-term partnerships and supporting family wineries across Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Russian speaking markets.
Can you tell me about a vintage or a wine that has particularly marked you? A defining moment for me was diving deeply into Italian wines during my studies at the Vinitaly International Academy. It was less about a single bottle and more about an educational awakening — understanding how geology, climate, tradition, and human choices interlace to shape a wine’s identity. That experience set me on a new path of integrity: learning to read wines through their details, to respect their origins, and to recognise the intention behind every decision in the vineyard and the cellar. It became the foundation of how I taste, how I work, and how I tell the stories behind the wines.
What do you expect from a wine?
I expect sincerity — a wine that speaks of its place and the person behind it. Precision, balance, and a sense of energy matter to me more than power. And above all, I look for character: something that makes you pause, listen, and remember.
This post is also available in Version française.