Hi, my name is Louis Villard and this is my blog, Spiltwine.
As a journalist, I’m a regular contributer to the Santa Barbara News-Press where I write about the local wine scene, book reviews and have a bi-weekly column reviewing wine and food apps.
I’ve also contributed to Imbibe Magazine, Decanter, Catavino.net, reFRESH and been on the Decanter tasting panel as well as judge in the Sommelier Wine Awards. I helped launch Imbibe magazine’s video page.
I’ve worked in the wine industry for over fourteen years. I started out as a cellar rat in Santa Barbara (Rusack Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery), this lead to my moving to France and eventually becoming assistant winemaker at Domaine La Sauvageonne in the Terrasses du Larzac, down in the Languedoc.
I then moved to England and embraced the world as a sommelier working at a few different hotels and restaurants in the south (Ashdown Park Hotel, Jeremy’s at Borde Hill) then moved to London and spent some time as a wine pourer person at the Savoy Grill for Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing.
I have a Bachelor of Science in Oenology and am a certified sommelier.
If you would like to contact me, my email is: louis[at]louisvillard[dot]com (anti-spam)
Follow me on twitter @spiltwine
Awesome – you make me want to drink wine. Now.
Congratulations on the launch of your site! Good luck with it!
Nice one Louis!! Good to see you’re keeping yourself busy and off the streets. Keep on spitting.
Love
Rob
Hi Louis,
like your homepage, always up to new stuff – will you be at the WOSA Tasting in London on the 13th & 14th?
Sunny greetings from SA!
Steffi
Damn…must have just missed you in Burgundy. I was on a bit of a road trip from Chateauneuf to Irancy this week. Found some cool new wines. Like the new blog
Loving your blog, Louis! x
Nice to know more about you… Happy to share a glass of (French) wine with you!
Hi Loui,
I am looking forward to test wines in England! Nos vemos at the Spencer event!
thanks for the great post. Best regards
Dear Louis,
hope you’re well and you r move has been successful so far. I know how stressful moves of this kind are. I’ve just done one after 15 yrs in the City.
If I remember correctly you’ve moved to California right? I pretty much envy you! Beautiful country.
I was wondering if, when settled, you’ll plan to write anything about that pm at the Naval Club in London. I am constantly looking for new ways to offer more visibility to these excellent products and I firmly believe Wine bloggers is one of the best way.
Please let me have you thoughts and give me a shout if you’ll want to drink some Prosecco Riccardo from the other side of the Pond!
Cheerio
Riccardo Tomadin
I am at Ashdown Park.
Heard a lot about you.
That sounds ominous Nick…hope it was only good things…
Are you doing wine stuff at APH? I really enjoyed my time there.