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SPAIN<br />
– SUCCESS STORY –<br />
Vineyards in the Yecla region<br />
Gilbert & Gaillard: Considering that in Denmark, your country of<br />
origin, grape cultivation is quite limited, where does your passion<br />
for wine come from?<br />
I have always been interested in books related to wine. I began to take<br />
an interest when I was 12. In Denmark, work experience starts at 14,<br />
and my first placement was at a Danish company that imports wine.<br />
<strong>GG</strong>: You set up your own company years ago, but previously<br />
worked in the industry. What do you remember from your early<br />
involvement in the wine industry? What did you learn from it?<br />
My best experience, and perhaps the hardest, was working at<br />
ODDBINS, a chain of specialised stores in England. There, I had<br />
the opportunity to deal directly with consumers and to understand<br />
their doubts and concerns. It is an experience I continue to benefit<br />
from today.<br />
<strong>GG</strong>: When did you decide to start your own company and what was<br />
your aim? Why Spain?<br />
In 1996, my partner found a job in Spain as a dentist and I took<br />
advantage of this opportunity to work as an agent for some wineries<br />
in Murcia to export their wines to Northern Europe. We immediately<br />
moved to Jávea from England and invested all our savings in the<br />
new business.<br />
<strong>GG</strong>: Each winery has its own ethos. What is Hammeken Cellars’<br />
philosophy?<br />
When I established Hammeken Cellars, it was difficult to find modern<br />
72 SUMMER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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