Olga Salazar
Olga Salazar is a London-based wine professional originally from Coahuila, Mexico—one of the country’s oldest wine regions, with winemaking roots dating back to 1597.
Mexico
Olga Salazar is a London-based wine professional originally from Coahuila, Mexico—one of the country’s oldest wine regions, with winemaking roots dating back to 1597.
A WSET Diploma holder, Olga founded Mexico Wine Club to raise awareness of Mexico’s rich winemaking heritage and support producers in reaching international markets. With a background in hospitality, wine education, and independent import, she blends professional insight with a deep passion for storytelling.
She travels regularly to Mexico to meet with growers, explore lesser-known regions like Baja California, Guanajuato, and Coahuila, and support old vine preservation through education and connection.
As Regional Ambassador, she champions the cultural and historical value of old vines, linking Mexican producers with the UK trade through tastings & events.
Olga is currently preparing to launch her own boutique import company dedicated to bringing outstanding Mexican wines to the UK—finally closing the gap between her two homes, one bottle at a time.
Asieh Hagh Shenas
Born in Persia, I come from a culture deeply rooted in the verses of Hafez (the poet), the Maysara (house of wine), the Saghi; a revered figure who poured wine with spiritual intention, and the ancient, ungrafted vineyards nestled in the Zagros Mountains. Wine has always been more than a drink: it's a symbol of resiliency, art, divinity, and immortality.
Iran
Asieh Hagh Shenas, DNO Student (ISVV), MSc Italian Food and Wine, Chemical Engineer
Born in Persia, I come from a culture deeply rooted in the verses of Hafez (the poet), the Maysara (house of wine), the Saghi; a revered figure who poured wine with spiritual intention, and the ancient, ungrafted vineyards nestled in the Zagros Mountains. Wine has always been more than a drink: it's a symbol of resiliency, art, divinity, and immortality.
As a chemical engineer drawn to wine culture, I found the intersection of science, creativity, and living art in wine science. This passion led me to study my second master's in Food and Wine in Italy, to become WSET certified, and, under the Erasmus+ programme, to study Vintage Master at ESA and to do my thesis which contribute to sustaining wine identity projects in a changing climate in France, from Sancerre to the Loire Valley to South Africa.
Now, with roots stretching from Shiraz to Bordeaux, my journey continues as a student of the Diplôme National d’Œnologue (DNO) at ISVV; to uncover forgotten terroirs, preserve wine’s cultural identity, and, most importantly, to build resilience in viticulture by creating a path where heritage and innovation meet in every bottle.
"Because a bottle of wine is actually alive."
Simon Hardy
Switzerland. Simon Hardy is a British / Swiss dual national based in London where he champions the wines of Switzerland and organises Swiss Wine Week London for Swiss Wine Promotion. He is the founder of Fitting Wines, a wine consultancy based originally in Switzerland, and co-founder of Alpina Vina.
Switzerland
Simon Hardy: Founder of Fitting Wines and co-founder of Alpina Vina
Simon Hardy is a British / Swiss dual national based in London where he champions the wines of Switzerland and organises Swiss Wine Week London for Swiss Wine Promotion.
He is the founder of Fitting Wines, a wine consultancy based originally in Switzerland, and co-founder of Alpina Vina. This new transnational guide to the Alpine wine regions features a range of resources including documentary films which he writes and presents.
His book on the wines of Switzerland will be launched later in 2025 as part of the Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide series from the Académie du Vin Library in partnership with Club Oenologique. This gives him a great opportunity to highlight the country’s old vine heritage and the treasury of ancient grape varieties that are native to Switzerland.
Simon holds the WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits and is a judge at the International Wine Challenge.
www.linkedin.com/in/hardyspd