In this episode, Michael Sager recalls his path from bartender to sommelier, how Raj Parr shaped his view of wine, and why he never chased status.

Michael Sager didn’t move to London for wine. He came for the music. “I loved Radiohead. The Libertines. That whole 2004 moment,” he says. A job in bars followed. Then restaurants. Then wine.



He trained fast. Took his diploma. Pushed himself. “I worked for a place that backed learning,” he says. “When they couldn’t pay for the diploma, I paid for it myself.” That led to time in San Francisco, a scene Sager still sees as foundational. “You could learn about wine there just by walking around. It was all right in front of you.”


“He’s like the Dalai Lama,” Sager says, half-smiling. “The best taster I know. But also, someone who’s helped more people than anyone realises.” That generosity stuck. So did the lesson: surround yourself with people you can learn from. “I’m not interested in people who make me feel smarter. I want to bottom-feed off brilliance.”

Watch the next in our Michael Sager series, where he reflects on taste, training and how to build a better wine bar.

Michael Sager shares how he got into wine, the influence of Raj Parr, and why learning beats status.

Michael Sager shares how he got into wine, what he learned from Raj Parr, and why status is irrelevant.