Adam Porter, head of the wine and spirits purchasing team at Harrods department store in London, has 15 years’ experience in the wine trade. Adam won the IMW Chair’s Award for Top Business in Wine Paper and the Norval Award for Best Research Paper by a New MW. He has also worked as an independent consultant, wine educator, and wine judge.
How did you get here?
Before moving to Sainsbury’s trading team, I managed a Majestic store, working at the drinks and fresh produce counter. After working as a director in marketing and purchasing at Juscots wine distribution company, he became a freelance consultant and stay-at-home dad before joining Harrods.
What is the balance between on-set and behind-the-scenes?
There are very few weeks that I’m not in the store and when I do, I miss the energy and vibrancy of Knightsbridge. It’s always worth sneaking out of your desk and going for a stroll.
What is the most common misconception about your job?
We are interested only in the most exclusive wines and spirits. Bottles of Harrods Selection Claret blended with Maison Sichel are available from £11.
What is your best professional moment?
Become a Master of Wine in 2020.
And the biggest mistake?
Most buyers have experienced a moment when their emotions override objective reality regarding what they want to sell. Thankfully, you’ll have plenty of time to ponder this during the sale.
What are people buying now?
The trade still revolves around Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, whisky, Cognac and their most emblematic expressions. However, customers are increasingly open to diversifying their repertoire within and outside of these categories. Cabernet-driven blends are extremely popular, regardless of where they come from, including the Medoc, Tuscany, and Napa. Other regions and styles like Piedmont, Rioja, Ribera, baijiu, tequila/mezcal, and gin also tend to be strong.
Are most of your customers tourists?
There is a strong international dimension to our trading, which complements our existing local customers, whether they are regular visitors or people who are based in London. We segment our customer base by how best to serve their needs, not by origin. That said, our food hall is one of the most visited and memorable parts of Harrods, with visitors particularly interested in our ready-to-eat items such as caviar, charcuterie and fromagerie, as well as our own label wines. We know you especially enjoy the combination.
What surprises people in the wine department at Harrods?
What you see in stores is just the tip of a rather large iceberg. We buy directly on release and store our wines six floors below our storefront in optimal conditions until the perfect moment.
What is the most expensive bottle you sell?
For standard size bottles, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and The Macallan are commonly used for wine and spirits, respectively. Or one of the celebrity large formats.
What’s new?
We have started offering bookable bespoke consultations with Coravin samplings, which have been very well received by our customers, and we are now offering more in-store tastings during peak periods.
What will you drink at home this Christmas?
It’s so hard to choose! This year’s personal favorites include Felton Road in Central Otago, New Zealand, and of course Harrods selections, especially Saint Emilion. When it comes to whisky, we look to single malts as well as top blends such as Isle of Sky 25 Year Old. This is an incredible liquid and fully deserves its place alongside single malts.