In my days as a buyer, I always put myself in the shoes of the consumer."Anthony HansonAnthony Hanson, 57, is senior director of the international wine department at auctioneer Christie's. He is sought after as an international wine judge and most recently served as chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine in London."Anyone wanting to break into the trade needs to be passionate about wine and should initially be prepared for long hours and hard graft. But the rewards will be well worthwhile."Ian HarrisIan Harris, 47, is chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which teaches over 10,000 students a year and is the acknowledged entry point to the trade. He is introducing programmes for retailers and distrib- utors, as well as courses for consumers."Wine knowledge is now a 'must have' rather than a 'nice to have'. This gives the WSET a big opportunity."Tony LaithwaiteTony Laithwaite, 56, has founded a number of successful mail-order wine companies, notably Laithwaites, which sources nearly 50 million bottles a year.

Laithwaites has been awarded a Wine of the Year in the last four years of the International Wine Challenge, with another wine shortlisted again this year."A passion bordering on obsession is vital."Charles Metcalfe and Robert JosephCharles Metcalfe, 53, and Robert Joseph, 47, are co-chairmen of the International Wine Challenge, the world's biggest wine competition In 1983, they started Wine magazine. Mr Metcalfe was for 12 years drinks presenter on This Morning."We taste a lot of very prestigious wines," says Mr Metcalfe, "and we want to share the experience. Wine doesn't have to be too serious – it's one of life's great pleasures."Frazer ThompsonFrazer Thompson, 43, is chief executive of New Wave Wines, owner and producer of half of all English wines. With 16 years' experience at Whitbread and Heineken, he was given the remit of applying his experience in beer marketing to the world of wine."Having a love and knowledge of wine is laudable, but no longer a recipe for success. My advice: be different, be bold, be certain and shout as loud as you can."So can you take it one sip at a time?* Retail is one of the best environments in which to learn more about wine. Try approaching a chain that offers wine training, such as Majestic or Oddbins, and ask if they have staff vacancies.* If you already have experience in fields such as marketing or PR, see if any wine traders need staff with your skills.* The Wine & Spirit Education Trust runs courses for everyone from enthusiastic amateurs to budding Masters of Wine. Visit: Or contact the Association of Wine Educators: .* Language skills, though not essential, are a great selling point, since most wine is imported from non-English speaking countries.* Attend as many tastings as you can, whether they are at your local offie or at one of the annual wine fairs put on by the big retailers.Compiled by Kate Hilpern with information provided by 'Wine' magazine..

Juergen Bartels, the chief executive of luxury hotel company Le Meridien, has a lot to thank his mother for – though gratitude wasn't on his mind as a 16-year-old when she dashed his dreams of becoming an architect "My mother thought I had no artistic talent It was very disappointing. She thought the competition would be less in hotels." Juergen Bartels, the chief executive of luxury hotel company Le Meridien, has a lot to thank his mother for – though gratitude wasn't on his mind as a 16-year-old when she dashed his dreams of becoming an architect "My mother thought I had no artistic talent It was very disappointing. He learnt the trade in luxury establishments, although his jobs weren't always luxurious. They included nine months in a kitchen and he even "moved laundry", though he missed out on being a chambermaid.Throughout his career he has worked at luxury hotel companies like Intercontinental, Radisson and Starwood, so he is glad he obeyed his mother.