claire drinks portrait with glass of red wine

Hello!

I love wine.

I remember my first experience well, a bottle of Hock, enjoyed on a camping trip whilst at university (Portsmouth, I loved being by the sea). It didn't put me off, and since then, wine has shaped almost everything I do.

A video introduction

Despite my discovery of wine, I graduated from university with a BSc in Applied Chemistry. This was followed by an MSc in Analytical Chemistry and a ten-year career in research and development with GlaxoSmithKline.

During this time, a friend (now Mr Drinks!) encouraged me to chair the wine appreciation society for the sports and social club. This was when my interest in wine really started taking me places. I began studying with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in 2003, passed the L4 Diploma in 2005 and founded Case Studies Wine School in 2006. In 2021 I achieved my goal of becoming a Master of Wine (MW).

My journey is far from over. There are still so many grape varieties, regions, spirits, and cocktail recipes waiting to be discovered. In 2022 I rebranded Case Studies Wine School to Claire Drinks to better reflect that I also offer spirits courses.

In 2024, 135 candidates successfully achieved their WSET qualifications by studying with me. I’d be delighted to help you …

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Claire Drinks pouring measure

10 things you might be interested to know about me

  • My favourite place to go is Selhurst Park, where I can be found supporting the pride of South London, Crystal Palace Football Club.

  • I have been walking the South West Coast Path for 8 years, I'm 450 miles in, so if I carry on at the same rate, it'll take me another 4 years to reach Poole Harbour.

  • I could eat pizza every day.

  • I live on a narrowboat. Kalessin is 18 metres long, 2 metres wide, and she’s moored on the Union Canal in Scotland, not far from Edinburgh.

  • I love drinking beer from a tankard.

  • Asking me what my favourite wine is will send me into a spin. I have too many. I will usually panic and reply Champagne!

  • I love my herb garden. Despite the neglect, my pots provide me with delicious herbs for garnishing my drinks.

  • My favourite nail polish is Chanel's Rouge Noir.

  • My favourite possession is my cocktail shaker. Purchased for £45 in a charity shop in London, it's a 1930s silver-plated William Suckling & Co shaker, worth somewhere around £300. But it's not for sale, it's too useful for making whisky sours!

  • My TV hero is Ted Lasso. Yeah, ok, the AppleTV show is set at Selhurst Park, so I'm biased, but Ted's approach to mentoring and coaching his players to help them become the best they can be, serves as daily inspiration.

“My favourite possession is my cocktail shaker. Purchased in a charity shop in London, it's a 1930's Silver Plated William Suckling & Co shaker.”