Profile

JULIE ARKELL is a wine writer who has worked in the wine trade for a number of years – she was Head of Wine at Arthur Guinness, Regional Wine Development Manager for Scottish & Newcastle Breweries and Manager of the Sunday Times Wine Club. She began writing about wine in 1992, and had her own column in the Saturday Express. She has also contributed to The Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Express Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, amongst many others. Julie is regularly involved in both television and radio work spanning the worlds of drink, food and travel, presenting or guesting on programmes for BBC1, BBC2, Channel 5, GSkyB, Carlton Food Network, BBC World Service Television, BBC News 24, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live and local radio. She has written Classic Rum, New World Wines: The Complete Guide, The Wine Drinker's Handbook, Need to Know? Wine and Collins Gem:Wine and co-wrote Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure.

Biography

Desperate for a job – any job! – after graduating with an MA from Edinburgh University, Julie leapt at the offer to join a small wine company. A passion for wine was born and a successful career in the wine trade launched – Wine Manager at Guinness Belfast, Wine Development Manager for Scottish & Newcastle and Wine Manager for The Sunday Times Wine Club. Responsibilities embraced buying, marketing and training, but one of her favourite tasks was stock control of the Royal Cellars on board HMY Britannia.

A lifelong ambition to write about wine was realized in 1992 when two local newspapers asked her to write regular columns. Julie has been the drinks correspondent for both the Daily and Sunday Express, and contributes regularly to Tesco Wine Club Magazine, At Home With Antony Worrall Thompson and James Martin Magazine. She has also written on many occasions for BBC Good Food Magazine, www.handbag.com, Wine International, Harpers, Decanter, The Daily Telegraph, Sainsbury’s Magazine, Candis Magazine, Websters publishing and www.jancisrobinson.com, amongst many other publications. Julie is the author of six books: New World Wines: The Complete Guide (Cassell; 1999), Classic Rum (Prion; 1999), Wine, A Comprehensive Guide To Drinking And Appreciating Wine (New Holland; 2004), Need To Know? Wine (HarperCollins; 2006), Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure (BBC Books; 2007) and Collins Gem Wine (HarperCollins; 2007).

Julie is involved in both television and radio work spanning the worlds of drink, food and travel, and has presented or guested in programmes for BBC1, BBC2, Channel 5, GSkyB, Carlton Food Network, BBC World Service Television, BBC News 24, BBC Radio Two, BBC Radio Four, BBC Radio Five Live and many local radio stations.

A frequent speaker, Julie adopts a no-nonsense, fun approach to wine tastings and is willing and able to tackle all drinks subjects, tailoring her presentation to suit any audience. She has lectured on the QE2 (Cunard), the Black Watch (Fred Olsen), Aurora (P&O) and Artemis (P&O), and conducts many consumer tastings for leading UK supermarkets. She has also appeared at the BBC Good Food Show and has represented the UK on the international panel of judges at the annual Hungarian ‘Bor Mustra’. She judges annually at the New York Classic, Decanter World Wine Awards, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Quality Drink Awards and Great Taste Awards.

Instrumental in designing and running the successful Passport To Wine & Food weekends for CenterParcs, Julie is available as an expert consultant. She also offers popular wine tasting packages for corporate bodies that are looking for something different with which to entertain clients or employees.

Awards include prizes for the WSET Higher Certificate and Diploma exams, and a Brown Brothers MW Scholarship. Julie is Chairman of The Circle of Wine Writers.

Updated 05/05/2009