Totting up

Does anyone run a book on the results of UCCA tests we all had to do? The UCCA ‘suggested’ career, versus ‘actual’ career followed? I seem to remember when all my friends were being advised to become bankers, lawyers, stock brokers, scientists, etc. I was advised to become a forester. And if I ever worked in the wine trade (as was likely at that stage) it should be in the vineyard—not in the office. Perhaps there should be a ‘fate quotient’ included in the UCCA assessment.

I had been destined from birth to go to Harrow, but how I hated the tour I had there prior to Common Entrance. “What an incredibly boring, stuffy place!” I thought, “full of senseless, annoying petty rules and traditions. Not my thing at all.” To my eternal gratitude my father accepted this appraisal, and proposed Worth instead. I remember my first visit one summer’s evening, coming down the front drive (Andy Caillard was crossing the Front Quad with a ladder on his shoulder for some reason) and immediately thinking that this was more like it. This was for me. It just seemed so right.

Mark Reynier outside Bruichladdich Distillery, Islay

I first met my partner (in the professional sense of the word), Simon Coughlin, towards the end of my first term. I had come from a Stoke Brunswick prep school and was one of only three new boys to come from ‘outside’—the rest of that year’s intake came either from Junior House or from a school on the south coast that had closed down—Belmont was it? And so felt quite alienated amongst these two groups. It was in the old prefab classrooms, waiting for the Geography Master to turn up for the start of the class (who on earth could that be?) and I had got into a scuffle with a particularly annoying fellow pupil. Simon was so impressed by the unequivocal manner in which I dealt with the situation (a right hook) that he issued the ultimate accolade—and invited me to his impending birthday party. We have been best friends ever since.

I did not get to go to university, being obliged to join my father’s wine shipping company in London (my A’ levels were not good enough anyway…). The nearest I ever came was doing wine tastings for various Oxbridge colleges, and having a girlfriend at St Hilda’s.

Having worked for the family firm of J B Reynier from 1980 to 1984 running the cellars, bottling and labelling wine, doing tastings etc. (thinking back, it was funny how popular I was with my impoverished university-bound contemporaries). One such aspiring student became a good client—until he had his stomach pumped. His account had become too big and not having the means to pay it off, being an honourable chap, decided he should join me in the cellars to work off his debt. I realised this was not such a good idea when a trolley carrying the extremely rare white Nuits St Georges (four cases out of a world supply of 12) was upended by my maladroit friend and a case smashed; it was worth more than twice the whole account in the first place. Still, it’s the thought that counts. He is now tea-total.

My father finally sold out to Eldridge Pope, a brewery from the West Country, for whom I worked for a further two years. I did not enjoy it very much, but I obtained the experience of brewing, whisky blending, and running a small wine bar/shop in front of the Old Bailey, in what was Fleet Lane—now part of the cross London rail link.

In 1987 I started my own wine company, courtesy of Margaret Thatcher’s BES scheme, with fellow WOB Simon Coughlin, who had a good UCCA form and did go to University—albeit briefly. We have a series of shops called La Réserve, located in Munster Road, Fulham; Walton Street, Knightsbridge; Heath Street, Hampstead and cellars at Grant Road, Battersea. Clapham Junction to you.

We specialise in real wine, none of that commercial bland nonsense. We are particularly hot on Burgundy (somewhat against the grain in the Claret dominated UK trade) with only selections from the top growers. We deal with old and rare wines and of course we do more humble ‘everyday’ wines too, but with the criteria that they must be top class—and above all—individual. We do not like conformity.

Shortly after we started the company I met the wild, hairy Scotsman and Whisky Guru Jack Milroy; little did I know how auspicious that chance meeting would be. To start with I won a £1000 bottle of single malt whisky from him in a lucky dip. When I collected my prize from his Soho whisky shop I was introduced by him to some barrel samples of various malts. One of which was Bruichladdich from Islay. It is not a heavily peated dram and so more elegant; it blew me away. Single malts in their natural state, with careful selection, “un fiddled about with”, can be very good indeed.

As a result, having sold the whisky in London for several years, I turned up on the island of Islay to visit the distillery, but it had been closed down by its American owners Jim Beam Brands, as “surplus to requirements”. A large sign beside the chained and padlocked gates stated coldly: “Plant Closed—No Visitors”. Seeing an old boy inside the courtyard I tried to persuade him to let me in, what with being a faithful client and so on. My request was somewhat abruptly refused, in fact, I was told to “eff off”. I decided therefore that I would buy the distillery...

[To discover if Mark did buy the distillery... oh, okay... he did... to discover how Mark bought the distillery... see the next edition of the Blue Paper...]

...Both Simon and I would be delighted to see any wine loving WOBS at either our cellar bar at Walton Street (my office is based there) www.la-reserve.co.uk or our new wine and whisky cellar room underneath Milroys, at 3 Greek Street, Soho that will be opening in August - www.milroys.co.uk.

And of course anyone making it to the beautiful Island of Islay (there is a mean links golf course there) would of course be most welcome at the distillery for a special tour and a dram. www.bruichladdich.com where you can of course buy your own barrel, distilled to order.

Call me 0207 589 2020 when you need any real wine or whisky…..

Mark Reynier (Chapman 1975-80)

Discuss:
What's your favourite whisk(e)y tipple? Which distillery should Mark and Simon buy next?!
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