Nicole Campbell

That thing I do (Occupation)

I sell wine to restaurants and hotels, host private tasting and tend to our social media pages -- twitter, facebook and our company blog.

Fondest wine memory

This must be my first ever glass of wine at age 10. We were on a family trip to Italy touring the wineries Lifford represents. At the time I HATED wine (ewww, gross) and was the pickiest eater imaginable. I was on the bread and chocolate diet, until we travelled to Tuscany where the bread wasn’t salted (ewww, unsalted bread!), so the chocolate diet it was.

One of our stops was to Talenti, a spectacular winery in Montalcino. After getting horrible lost we finally arrived and were greeted with a traditional Italian many-course lunch with wine pairings (i.e., my HELL). After seeing I wasn’t drinking the wine the eighty-something year old grandfather Talenti inquired through his translator why I wasn’t drinking. When he found out I did not like wine he furrowed his well-creased brows and grumbled before throwing up his arms in a eureka like moment. He shuffled to the back of the restaurant, dug around and triumphantly pulled out “a sweet wine for the sweet girl” and all of a sudden I had myself a pairing for all of that chocolate.

Favourite wine region

New Zealand. I was lucky enough to travel to New Zealand last year and visit all our producers first hand. The quality of wines I tasted combined with the stunning landscapes and fabulous people made it one of the best trips I’ve ever had. Felton Road, Ata Rangi, Staete Landt, Carrick and Craggy Range remain some of my favourite wineries of our entire portfolio.

Favourite Lifford wine

I love many Lifford wines so it is truly unfair to choose, but Felsina’s Fontalloro will always have a special place in my heart. The wine maker Giuseppe Mazzocolin is a part-time poet, and Latin-speaking philosophy professor with dreamy eyes and a stunning property. He also makes my favourite single-varietal olive oil, and I think I accidentally impregnated some of his hunting dogs on a visit when I may have opened the wrong fence.

First job

Office slave at Lifford, of course!

Indulgence

A glass of Gigi Rosso Barolo, a bowl of risotto, a cottage sunset and great company.

What or where do I retreat to?

My road bike or the yoga mat.