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Graham’s love of wine was sparked by his travels overseas. Graham is Chief Underwriting Officer for an insurance
company specialising in high value items. “Being involved in the insurance of art, jewellery and so on means a lot of
international travel. My job involves socialising and over the years I’ve enjoyed a good many business lunches.
Experiencing different cultures and foods led to my love of wine.” Prior to having her daughter, Lisa was in banking
and also travelled a great deal, giving her a similar route into wine appreciation.
The couple had wanted a cellar for some time. When they bought their house in 2008 they had a vision to make
substantial changes. One addition to the house was a swimming pool, a project which required extensive excavation.
It made sense to identify a space for the cellar at the same time. The house is on a hill and after significant groundwork
the pool and cellar are next to each other at ground level.
The house’s renovations took the best part of four years. “I spent so much time project managing that it felt like a full
time job,” laughs Lisa. “We had the usual challenges when you have a build as extensive as ours. The house is 100
years old and we tried to maintain the character of the house whilst giving it some modern features as well.”
The couple had their own plans for the wine cellar. Sorrells provided some
additional ideas, making the room a more integral part of the house. “We weren’t
after anything ostentatious but it was important for us to have it looking nice,”
explains Lisa. Because of the Hawkins’ love of entertaining it was vital that the
space catered for this. “The room that’s been created has enhanced our lifestyle
and made the whole wine tasting experience an event,” Graham adds.
It’s beautiful, a wonderful space. It
makes wine tasting a special event.
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