Pierpaolo PetrassiMW

Partner & head of buying

Pierpaolo joined Waitrose & Partners in 2010, having spent his a career in the drinks and retail industry. He was the first Italian to become a Master of Wine and specialises in wines from his homeland.

"Choosing the best drinks is a team effort and I’m lucky to work with buyers who are enormously experienced. We’re proud of the breadth of our range – there’s something for every budget and occassion."

What are you drinking? The 2008 release of Waitrose & Partners Brut Special Réserve Vintage Champagne. It's half Chardonnay and rich enough to drink throughout a celebratory meal.

Xenia
Ruscombe-King

Partner & drinks buyer, waitrosecellar.com

Prior to joining the team at Waitrose & Partners in 2013, Xenia worked as a buyer for a large regional brewery, retailer and wine importer, as well as being an independent wine consultant. Her passion is our “On the QT” range - small batch, one-off wines that you can’t buy anywhere else.

What are you drinking? Neudorf Tom's Block Pinot Noir from New Zealand has juicy fruit with elegance – very classy.

Nick Room

Wine Buyer - Spain, Portugal, Burgundy, Fortified and Sweet Wines

Nick is celebrating 25 years in wine buying! He specialises in wine from South America, Spain and Portugal.

He also sources our award-winning sherries including Waitrose Solera Jerezana Fino, fortified, rosé and sweet wines.

In recognition of his contribution to the Spanish wine trade, Nick is current chairman of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino.

Alexandra Mawson

Wine Buyer - New Zealand, Australia, USA and Rosé

This year Alexandra is celebrating her 10th year in the wine industry. Having returned home to Britain after spending 4 years in the wine trade in Australia, she is thrilled to join the award-winning wine buying team at Waitrose.

Alexandra says she looks forward to delving into the exciting regions in her categories and bringing new and interesting wines to Waitrose customers.

Becky Hull
Master of Wine

Wine Buyer - Champagne, Sparkling, England and Wales

Becky joined Waitrose in 2005. She received the rare double of winning the Vintners Cup for the highest mark of the year in the WSET Diploma, and then scooped the Tim Derouet Award for exceptional performance in the Master of Wine exams, which she passed in 1997.

Maria Elener

Wine Buyer - Italy, Rhône, Eastern Europe, Austria and Other World

Marie started her career in wine buying over 8 years ago, since then she has worked in various roles within the trade. She is responsible for purchasing wines from the Loire, Italy, South Africa and exciting ranges from the rest of the world.

James Bone

Wine Buyer

James joined Waitrose 11 years ago and has been in buying for the last 9. He has worked in a number of product areas and joined the wine team as a buying manager in December 2012. He is thrilled to be involved in such an interesting and integral area.