We welcome Anto Coates to the
staff ranks at Regional Wines & Spirits. Anto joins us in the role of
Wine Consultant and Web Marketer, looking after wine sales and developing our
electronic marketing, a position that we see will keep Regional Wines at the
forefront in the modern wine world, using the channels of emails, Twitter,
Facebook interaction and the internet. Here, we are very pleased to have
Anto’s technical and marketing expertise, honed since his days at Otago University and AUT where he
graduated in English and Advertising Creativity.
Most importantly, Anto has the ‘wine bug’. He loves wine in all its
facets and wants to learn as much as he can about it. Coming from Auckland’s West Brook winery
where he worked in the e-communication and sales fields, Anto sees his new
position at Regional Wines as ideal for pursuing his passion. Anto cannot
stop thinking about wine. He loves to read, taste, talk and write about
it. “This is the job where I can spend all day
discussing wine and not be told to keep quiet!” he says. The enjoyment of
wine with food is the natural follow-on for Anto, and it has become a major
interest for him and his partner Natalya.
Anto’s wine epiphany came during a holiday trip to the Mudgee wine-growing
region in NSW, where a “home-made” Sangiovese
drunk in the beautiful setting of the vineyard in glorious weather sparked the
romance of and interest in wine. Then, Hugh Johnson’s description of
Chablis in his book “Wine” ignited the interest in the whole wide world of
wine. While all wines interest and indeed excite him, Anto is immersing
himself in Rieslings, Chardonnay, Rioja and Bordeaux-varietals at
present. Some wines that have particularly excited him recently have been
Kumeu River ‘Hunting Hill’ Chardonnay 2008, Trinity Hill ‘High Country’ Pinot
Noir 2008, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 1983 and a
Lustau ‘San Emilio’ PX Sherry. Part of Anto’s role will be maintaining
the fine wine sales, stocks and cellaring, and we can see his excellent
knowledge growing exponentially!
Anto has already contributed to the writing copy on
www.regionalwines.co.nz and his input will increase substantially over the
coming weeks, to complement the words from Raymond, Kieran, Geoff, Daniel,
Duncan and the others involved in the website’s content. His style will
be readily recognizable, expressing his love of
good wines, and his wide literary interests and music. If Anto can tear
himself away from a wine activity, you may see him playing golf or keeping fit,
scuba diving or snowboarding. But no doubt, there will be another glass
of wine to appreciate and discuss not too far away…