Our guest on 01.11.2009 Stuart Pigott, Wine Critic

He's renowned for his unconventional views on the world of wine: Stuart Pigott, a Berlin-based British expat, has developed his own set of commandments on wine-sipping culture. His uppermost rule is not to interfere in or even spoil other people's wine-drinking fun. He says that the quality of a wine - whether good or less impressive - rests solely on the taste buds of the individual wine lover.

Stuart Piggot has published bestselling "grape-by-grape" wine guides, and he says his favorites are German Riesling whites. So, let's raise a glass to a studio chat with Mr Pigott!

Stuart Pigott was born on 26 May 1960 in the British capital London. He began studying art at the age of 19, and took a part-time job as a wine waiter at the Tate Gallery restaurant. This was where he learned about wine, and this was also where he tried a German wine for the first time, a Riesling late vintage from 1971. Describing this taste experience at a later date, Stuart Pigott said “the wine discovered me.” After graduation he began to write about wine. His first article was published in 1984 in the British trade magazine “Decanter”. German wines became his favorite subject.

His career as a wine journalist received a boost when he met his future wife Ursula Heinzelmann. Born in Berlin in 1963, she is a chef and sommelière. The pair moved to Berlin in 1993, and the German capital became Pigott’s adoptive home. Stuart Pigott has polarized the industry with his subjective reviews and books on wine. Some see him as a “wine pope”, while others say he is waging a campaign. Pigott’s aim is to help his readers get over their fear of wine, of big names and labels. And he calls on everyone to trust their own taste.