Advertiser raises glass to wine expert's quarter century

The Advertiser is toasting the wisdom of its resident wine expert of some 25 years for sharing his top tipples from across the world with readers for two-and-a-half decades.

David Clay, now aged 89, has seen his lifelong love of wine take him all over the globe from Rotherham to the Rhône and Rhine rivers in Europe – and all thanks to an invitation from a former editor of the newspaper.

David, who is married to wife Doris, and has a son and daughter, three grandchildren and ten great grandchildren, said: “I left Rotherham Grammar in 1953 and attended EMI College of Electronics in London between 1956 and 59 – that included one year part of which was on the Vulcan Bomber Trainer (nose section of the aircraft.)

“I came home to run the service department of the family TV business which in 1972 was sold to Vallances of Leeds where I first became area manager for South Yorkshire, then company service manager over TV and home appliances for departments such as Ilkley, Hull and Birmingham.

“In the early 1980s Vallances were bought out by (national retailer) Rumbelows so I decided to leave.

“I was offered a job managing Sheffield NCP car parks but declined and bought a filling station in the village of Barnburgh which I flattened on retirement, sold half the land for building and still live in the other half.

“I have always been interested in wine, having around 80 books, and while working in Leeds a lady opened a wine shop in Bradford where I attended tastings.

“In the eighties a retired teacher called Derek started Rockingham Wine Club in Mexborough and Wath. With people coming from Rotherham eventually monthly meetings were also held in Whiston Parish Hall, now the only one in existence, and the club name changed to the Fitzwilliam Wine Club.

“I am the only original member left but the club is thriving!

“Around the same time I learnt of wine meetings at the Epworth Tap pub where leading people in the trade gave us tastings and held discussions.

“In the late eighties Derek arranged a coach and wine trip to Durbach in Germany and then Alsace but, after he was unfortunately taken ill, he asked me to run the trip which we did very successfully.

“Over the next few years I hired a Gordons of Rotherham coach and driver and took the club to vineyards in Champagne, Burgundy, up the Loire and down the Rhone to southern France, down the Rhine and Mossel as far as Luxembourg and Alsace.

“I was a member of – and still am – the Rotary Club of Rotherham, finishing as secretary after 15 years in around 2000, when I went to the Advertiser to surprise and ask the then-editor Doug Melloy to be the next president.

“He agreed, but – as he knew of my interest in wine – asked would I write articles for the Advertiser.

“Soon agencies were ringing to send me samples and inviting me to press and other professional tastings.

“The first was the Australian Wine Bureau – no longer in existence – while my holidays always included visits to America, Canada, and all of Europe, especially Italy.

“My brother is Professor of Astro-Physics at Adelaide University so we visited many vineyards in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale among others.”

And his final word on his favourite easy-drinking wines?

“The whites are from the Loire, Santorini – getting rather expensive! – and New Zealand.

“For reds, I prefer Portuguese Douro, Southern Italian Primitivo, and good Californians such as those from Ridge vineyards.”