Bouchard Finlayson appoints Lia Poveda as Global Ambassador
Monday, 7 October, 2013
Bouchard Finlayson
Lia Poveda joined the team as Global Ambassador in July this year. In this newly created, London-based role Lia will be at the hub of Bouchard Finlayson’s International operations. She will ensure that the wines are well placed and presented by Bouchard Finlayson’s agents internationally.
Coming from a family of restaurant, hotel and wine store owners in the French region of Lorraine, Lia Poveda was predestined for a career in the hospitality industry. From the age of 12 she worked in her Uncle Christophe Bastien’s restaurant during her spare time. It was Bastien, a Master Sommelier, who first sparked her interest in wine.
In 2003 Lia was accepted into one of France’s top sommelier schools, Lycée Le Castel in Dijon, where she was tutored by wine doyenne Catherine Doré. Weekend visits to vineyards and wineries exposed her to prestigious brands including Hubert Lamy and Domaine Parent, and ignited her passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. She completed her studies having obtained the highest score in her class.
Lia then started her career in earnest, working with top chefs and sommeliers at Michelin-starred restaurants in France and the UK, including Troigros in Roanne and the Vineyard at Stockcross in Newbury. She joined The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s Summer Lodge in Dorset as Assistant Head Sommelier in 2008, under the mentorship of renowned Sommelier Eric Zweibel. It was at Summer Lodge that she first discovered and fell in love with Bouchard Finlayson’s South African vintages.
In 2009 she was promoted to Head Sommelier and moved on to two of Red Carnation’s prestigious London properties, The Rubens and The Milestone. At the same time Lia had the chance to compete in various sommelier competitions, including ‘UK Sommelier of the Year’, and trained towards becoming a Master Sommelier. She is currently moving towards the Advanced Master Sommelier title.
While working on a joint business venture with innovative wine store ‘Hedonism Wines’ in London in 2013, Lia was invited by The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s Tollman family to join Bouchard Finlayson as Global Ambassador. In this newly created, London-based role Lia will be at the hub of Bouchard Finlayson’s European operations. She will ensure that the wines are well placed and presented by Bouchard Finlayson’s agents in the UK, Europe and internationally; will represent Bouchard Finlayson at wine fairs in Europe; and will be closely involved in staff training. In addition her role involves the further international expansion and reach of Bouchard Finlayson in relevant target markets.
Lia has always admired winemaker Peter Finlayson’s approach: ‘Peter is not only a pioneer of Pinot Noir in South Africa, he understands how to put art, talent and soul into his wine, all by respecting and preserving the beautiful environment in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley.’ She is delighted to be a part of the Bouchard Finlayson family and looks forward to spreading the word around the globe.