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Alan selected walnut wood which, he says,
looks beautiful. In the middle of the room is
an illuminated central bar which provides an
eye-catching feature. “Tim from Sorrells came
up with the design for the space which we then
tweaked a little. I’m absolutely delighted with
it,” he says.
Alan appointed Sorrells after seeing the cellar
they had installed at Galvin La Chapelle, a
restaurant in the City where he knows the two
chefs. “After the designs were produced
Sorrells came back and spotted a few
improvements. Another good thing was that
the whole Sorrells team really cared about
the outcome.”
Which wines does Alan particularly favour?
His tastes are broad and he enjoys wine from
around the world including Romania, India
and China. The majority of Alan’s collection is
French. Bordeaux is a particular favourite. “I
have some Château Lafite and Château Mouton
Rothschild from 2003 and 2005. I’ve not yet
drunk any as they’re not quite at an age but it
is lovely to have the thought I can crack open a
bottle for a special occasion.”
Alan says he was drawn to another particular
wine by dint of sharing the same name:
Château Gaby in Bordeaux. “It’s a beautiful
château that used to be owned by the chairman
of Fortnum and Mason. I was holidaying in the
area once and visited the château. I tried to
stake a claim due to our sharing the same
name! I have bought their Canon-Fronsac
for many years.” Alan also rates English
sparkling wine, noting that Hush Heath from
Kent was served on the Orient Express when
he and his wife took a trip to celebrate their
25th wedding anniversary.
Alan visits his wine room every day and admits
he finds it hard to leave without a bottle, even
if he initially goes in just to check on things.
“It’s an everyday kind of space. Even if I go
in to stroke the bottles, I rarely come out
empty-handed,” Alan says. “But then I have
no willpower!” he adds.
Everything stored here at
home is for drinking.
‘‘
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