A master of wine, and wellness.

I’m thrilled to be able to include Clare Tooley in our women, wine and wellness profiles. Clare has contributed to this blog in the past, including a prescient article about Napa before she knew she would be living there, the challenges of Bordeaux primeur from her previous life in Bordeaux and notes from the beginning of her MW journey. I’m delighted to say that she is now a Master of Wine, as of last month – congratulations Clare.

Clare, could you introduce yourself and your role in the wine and food industry please?

I’m a wine buyer, English but born in Spain, lived in France and now based in California. I moved from Bordeaux to Napa six years ago and currently source the domestic wine for a number of US national wine clubs including The Wall Street Journal, Laithwaites, Virgin, TCM, NPR and National Geographic. Please watch Clare’s video for TCM here.

What brought you to the business and how long have you worked here?

When I look back it takes on a fairy-tale glow! I answered a job ad in the Guardian that gave little away other than the fact that a small business in Nottinghill, London, was looking for a French speaker with secretarial skills. At the time, I was languishing in a lonely job as a PA to a professional solo violinist. He was travelling the world while I was left behind shuffling paperwork. I walked into an airy, bohemian loft office for the interview to be met by laughter, beautiful bright people and the sight of a tasting bench groaning with wine samples. And that was that. I knew nothing about wine, but John Armit, Susie de Paolis and Amanda Skinner took me on regardless. I owe them a great deal, the world of wine in fact. 30 years, a million air miles, thousands of bottles and many more bright, beautiful people, here I am.

What do you love most about this business?

So many things, but especially the people, the curiosity the wines inspire and the surprises along the way.

What does the concept of Wellness mean to you?

A raft of things, extremely personal, that change as frequently as the weather. Fundamentally, peace of mind and inner strength.

If it’s not indiscreet, how many times do you drink each week and do you limit yourself to a certain quantity of alcohol?

I drink wine most days and limit according to all sorts of things but not necessarily to a rigid rule. I rarely, if ever, drink spirits.

Has your attitude changed to drinking and wellness over the years?

Yes, for sure. My attitude to both has changed dramatically as my body, my age, my health, my circumstances and the lives of others around me have changed. Wellness has clearly dictated my attitude to drinking at certain points during the last 30 years, during my pregnancies for instance and the sleepless infant years! And now I am realising how important it is to protect my ‘wellness’. The things I took for granted before as a younger woman are no longer quite so easy to maintain.

But I would also say my attitude to drinking has changed fundamentally as my knowledge of wine has increased. My drinking has been informed by the opportunities and challenges of work and study; more eclectic, more diverse, ‘less’ in order to control, ‘better’ in order to find the grace that exists in good wine.

Do you think the wine trade has changed or is changing its attitude to wellness or drinking culture?

The ‘wine trade’ covers a multitude of sins and a multitude of great intentions too, of course. I think there is an issue regarding responsibility. Who is responsible for wellness and drinking culture? Is it the individual, the alcohol industry, the government? Are we prepared to control ourselves or must we rely on the nanny state? ‘Wellness’ and ‘Alcohol’ are multibillion-dollar industries after all, so any change in attitude that compromises the bottom line is often sidestepped. At best, the wine trade treads carefully and promotes ‘moderation’, at worst it pedals fatuous brands and supports disingenuous marketing. Fundamentally, finding the Promised Land between prohibition and excess is an on-going dilemma for the wine trade; one I can definitely relate to in my personal life!

The good news is we are talking about it. I do think there is a more holistic approach to health and wellbeing within the industry itself, more discussion about our partnerships not just with our environment but also the product and ourselves. More thought going in to it, if you like. What I find exciting are the many and varied projects within the industry, from farm to table and tank to tower, that lead discussion, research and progress in creating a healthier world and a healthier relationship with alcohol.

Are there foods you consciously include in your diet?

The obvious like green vegetables, fresh fruit and fish. Water feels like food when you have been exercising so I count that too. I love salad and can forego red meat. I do look to eat ‘local’ in the general sense – feasting on avocado, mango and Pacific fish here in California for example. Bordeaux was trickier with its glorious bread, chocolatines and cheese, but portions are a great deal smaller in France than over here, which helped.

Are there foods you avoid?

My battle with carbs, or avoiding them, is endless. Frustrating, as I love them. As someone who loves great cooking and beautiful meals, but has an unhealthy relationship with her weight, I think about food all the time! I try and avoid the usual suspects but am acutely aware that the privilege of choosing what you eat and when you eat, is exactly that, a privilege. I try and honour that. There is such joy and celebration to be found in shared meals and some can and should be more ‘gourmand’ than others.

Do you take any supplements? Which ones?

No

What are your biggest diet challenges?

Trying to avoid ‘the munchies’ … a hangover from years of real, bone-aching tiredness from sleepless infants, endless work travel and jetlag.

Do you exercise?

Yes, every day. Covid lockdown and the closure of my local gym, led to an investment in a Nordic treadmill and the utterly brilliant I fit series. I now run all over the world, in my garage. It is a total joy. I am not a ‘runner’ but found real solace in training for a half marathon to raise money for charity after the death of my mother many years ago. I have associated running ever since with finding peace, building strength, finding courage, letting go. My workout is really a work-‘in’!

What are your biggest challenges to staying fit and healthy in your job?

Wine!! My love of it and the food associated and necessary to accompany it. Before lockdown there were professional tastings, lunches, dinners, late nights, long days and travel. This last year has probably been one of the fittest and healthiest for me, physically if not mentally. And there’s the rub. While my professional lifestyle over the years challenged my waistline and left little time keep fit, the mental stimulation and privileges that came with it – fine wines, great company, superb food prepared by someone other than me – made me mostly happy. And there’s real health to be found in happiness.

How do you overcome them?

I listen much more to my body now than I used to. I look for fresh air whenever and wherever I can. I drink water. I take breaks. I run. I pick my battles. I remember what I love most about my job and make sure I do some of that every week, even and especially in the weeks when the less interesting stuff piles up. So for me that includes tasting new wines and listening to a supplier’s story. I also treasure the stolen moments between work and family life, which is when I write my own pieces. (see Clare’s latest piece on Tim Aitkin’s blog here). But when I’m really challenged or in need of a break, I turn to my husband, my boys and our menagerie of animals. With them on and by my side, I can overcome anything.

Do you set yourself goals, and do they help in your aim to stay well?

I set myself a lot of goals but recognise that the swerves in life come thick and fast. You never know when they will knock you off course. There is always joy in those swerves, if sometimes deeply hidden. But yes, I think goals do help. Apart from anything else, they give me something to look forward to. I see the promises I make myself are like gifts and are an important part of wellness.

Women in your industry

Does that fact you are a woman help, or is it a hindrance in business or is it now irrelevant? If so how would you pinpoint the changes?

I think there have been as many instances where being a woman has helped me as there have been difficult moments. The latter are simply harder to forgive and forget. I am not proud of that answer and I think there is still a long way to go within our industry.

Being a woman in business is not irrelevant. It can still be fraught and there are still too many examples of poor behaviour, even abuse, which are shameful and totally unacceptable in our industry. We should not be afraid to champion differences; I simply worry that it can dominate the narrative. I would rather we spoke of excellence, of quality, of grace and progress and that our message was one of equality.

I have been supported from day one by extraordinary women within the industry. I have equally been supported by extraordinary men. I hope to use whatever advantage my longevity within the trade has given me to support others. I will only use my gender, with the specific, personal experience it has given me, when relevant.

Change is a continuum; it comes with education, confidence and by example.

As you’ve lived and worked in different countries, do you think these attitudes change with geography?

Yes, I do. I have lived in three different countries and witnessed three different attitudes and opportunities. I have travelled in a buying and selling capacity to dozens more and seen ugly misogyny, bias and racial prejudice at work. However, I still consider the world of wine to be wonderfully, weirdly diverse. The culture shock is real. I happen to love that and while there have been situations when I have felt disconcerted, humiliated even, there have been other moments of empowerment. The trick perhaps is to recognize the emotion, dig a little deeper and move on and away stronger and more confidently.

How to you cope with wellness pressures when you travel, for business?(Ahem remember business travel?)

I am not a good sleeper at the best of times so for me, business travel has always been exhausting. I rely on melatonin but also the adrenaline of being somewhere different, having to perform, drawing energy from the people and places I am visiting. I remember a buying trip to South Africa in the early stages of pregnancy when I would get up really early to combat the morning sickness. I then crawled back to the hotel room later in the day, foregoing the lovely offers of dinner from suppliers, and ordered toast and peanut butter from room service which was all I craved! I remember a Bordeaux En Primeur week that involved an awful lot of Digestive biscuits when I was expecting my second child. You cope. You find a way. You listen to what you really need. You drink a lot of water. You hope one day you’ll be able to write a book about it!

If you had just one or two top tips for women wanting to stay well what would they be?

STOP AND LISTEN to your body. Your body is extraordinary. Love it like the precious thing it is. Laugh a LOT. Dance whenever you can. Have plenty of sex. Oh, and treat yourself, don’t cheat yourself.

Is there anything else you would like to share about the role of women in the drink business or about wine and health in general?

There are plenty of excellent female role models today, but the industry can always use more. Be tenacious. I think we continue to work hard, grab the opportunities that come along, sidestep the pitfalls and look out for each other. Be an ally.

Finally, a piece of advice I was given by a wonderful woman at Laurent Perrier during a halcyon Champagne Academy week in 2004: ‘Keep your bubble count high’. Words to live by.

You can follow Clare on twitter, instagram or connect with her on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this post, please sign up here to receive future blog posts directly to your inbox. If you would like to read more about Bordeaux, buy your copy of Bordeaux Bootcamp here, to learn more about Wine and Wellness, buy a copy of The Drinking Woman’s Diet here. Enjoy the read.