About me

I was born in Teramo, a rural province of the greenest region of Europe, Abruzzo, situated in the central eastern coast of Italy.

I was still playing football in the street of my hometown, in the village of Bellante, when my grandfather made me do my first ever sip of wine and it was Montepulciano d'Abruzzo diluted and sweetened with gassosa (an Italian version of Sprite).

I had less than 10 years old when it happened and I can tell that in this moment my interest on wine started and my sommelier career began.

In 2005 I get into the hospitality business in a modest 3 Star Hotel in the coast of Abruzzo region and I start to expand seadily my knowledge on food and alcoholic beverages.

After the school degree in 2007 I did not have money to afford to go in Rome to study wines so I have been determined to persue thesestudies by myself taking as much as information on internet even if where such as limited at that time and buying various second-hand books of wines of the AIS wine school specialising slowly in Italian wines.

I moved to London in 2010 and I have been working as a waiter and sommelier with different kinds of cuisine as Chinese, in a starred Michelin restaurant called Hakkasan, with British cuisine in the Royal Thames Yacht Club, with Japanese cuisine in Sushisamba and with various French cuisine as the 3 star Rosette awarded Skylon and the starred Michelin restaurant of the Gordon Ramsay group, Pétrus.

During these beautiful experiences I had the opportunity to work with the finest alcoholic beverages as wines, Japanese sakes, craft beers and spirits of all kinds and improving my knowledge daily.

I have tasted well over 20.000 wines from all over the world and amongst the most prestigious ones, I have given a score to more than 2.400 labels on Vivino showing passion, dedication and love about my profession.

While working I have been studying for the WSET till the Diploma level and I've got various awards and certificates that lead me to work as a wine judge in very important competitions as IWSC, LWC, SWA, and IWC.

I have arrived Semi-Finalist in the UK Best Sommelier Competition in 2019 and I gained popularity on Instagram under the name of Palmavini_wine_doctor, sharing wine reviews and what else is related to my passion, the alcoholic beverages world, food and travels.