Master of Wine
Julian Brind
- Discipline
- Master of Wine
i. Biography
Born on 5 November 1942, Julian Brind built a career that stayed close to the trade’s working centres: the buying desk, the judging table, and the institutions that set standards. It was a path shaped less by display than by selection, value, and judgment.
The Climb
He entered the trade in 1964 as a management trainee with Watney Mann's Brown and Pank Wine & Spirit Co, starting at the point where stock, style, and demand meet the market. From there, his career advanced in the way strong trade careers often do: by taking on more responsibility, one category and one decision at a time. In 1971, he took on the wine buyer role at Waitrose, a position he would hold until 2010. Few buying jobs stretch across so many changing decades, and this long tenure became the central line of his working life at the chain. The role called for palate, consistency, and a steady reading of the market. His work was not confined to wine alone. He later served as director of buying wines, beers, spirits and soft drinks at the Waitrose supermarket chain in Bracknell, extending his remit across a broader drinks range and placing him further inside the commercial core of the business. By 1993, Brind had also moved into wider trade stewardship when he became chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine. The appointment marked a shift from buyer and operator to institutional authority, while staying aligned with a career built on practical expertise. He also judged the International Wine & Spirit Competition, applying the same commercial discipline to a forum where quality, balance, and distinction are assessed with care.
Today
Brind is a British Master of Wine, and that title remains the clearest shorthand for his standing in the trade. It points to a career built on buying, leadership, judging, and service, all grounded in the working knowledge first established in 1964. Taken together, those roles form a single line of practice: reading the market while helping shape it.
Recognition
Julian's honors include Vintners' Scholarship and Bourse de Voyage scholarship.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Julian
What is Julian Brind's current role?
As of 2026, Master of Wine.
What recognition has Julian Brind received?
Vintners' Scholarship (1967).