United Kingdom

Winnie Toh

Winnie is the Head Sommelier at “The Aubrey” in the Mandarin Oriental, London. Her journey in wine began as an intern at the famous Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Hearing visiting winemakers speak about wine, painting “stories of history between lands, geography, climate, human intention and gastronomy”, Winnie became intrigued, and as fortune would have it, she was chosen to be part of the wine team. Her mind made up at the end of her internship experience, Winnie decided to become a sommelier. Faced with a scarcity of opportunities in Singapore, Winnie secured an internship in France, and from there went on to pursue her Advanced Sommelier certification. Winnie trained with many Master Sommeliers, including our namesake Gérard Basset, all of whom were “patient, kind and nurturing” towards her as she studied. This experience of being a student of wine opened her eyes not only to the “infinite subject” of all things vinous, but also taught her “courage, the importance of grit, consistency and humility”. Winnie’s Golden Vines MS Scholarship has enabled her to pursue her Master Sommelier studies, and since moving to London she has begun to work with Be Inclusive Hospitality, alongside her fellow Golden Vines Scholars Mags Janjo and Audrey Annoh-Antwi. In recognition of her determination, her skill as a sommelier and her passion for learning, in July 2022 Winnie was named by Harpers Wine and Spirit as one of their Top 25 Sommeliers in the UK, a phenomenal achievement.