b'S P E C I A L I S T K N O W L E D G EFreddie HerringWine RetailingAn independents perspective with Freddie Herring, Sales Director at Noble Green WinesWhat inspired you to work in the world ofin wine really started to take off. I skipped the wine? WSET level 1 and 2 exams and went and straight My background when I was growing up hadto level 3 exam which I passed comfortablyvery little to do with the world of wine. My fatherprobably because Id been used to studying at is a Lincolnshire farmer and I grew up on theuniversity and underwent an intensive period farm where we produced cereals and peas forof study prior to sitting the exam. I then joined companies such as Birds eye. Noble Green and the rest as they say is history.I then did a degree in politics at the university ofNoble Green was a very different business in York, so at that stage Id very little direct contactthose days, with a format that largely mimicked with the wine world. However, my father alwaysthe Majestic model. The average price of the had an interest in wine, and I was encouraged towines we sold were around 10.00, we had try it from an early ageeven though it wouldvirtually no shelving and most of the wines were be diluted with water when I was very young. Hemerchandised in wine boxes.was a big fan of St Emilion and wed often visitBut I was lucky that Peter Buckley, our Managing the wine regions of France when we were awayDirector, and I shaped a vision of how we on holiday - so I guess thats where my interestwanted this to be and today its a very different stems from. business.It was soon after university that my interest 06 Communiqu - Autumn 2015 Communiqu - Autumn 2015 0734 Communiqu Autumn/Winter 2019/20'