Meet our current team below and meet our staff from 1996-2026.
David Motion
David juggled his parallel careers in Wine and Music for decades. Pop Record Producer in the 80s, Composer for film, tv and commercials in the 90s, David liked The Winery so much, he bought the shop in 1996. He also released albums in Electronica and Neo-Classical genres.
Travelling extensively searching for new wines, he also regularly appears in interviews talking about New Wave German Wines, Biodynamic Wine and the Lunar Calendar http://www.youtube.com/thewineryuk. David was asked to write a piece for the 2013 edition of “When Wine Tastes Best”, the Biodynamic Calendar for Wine Drinkers. He is an occasional contributor to Noble Rot Magazine, including an explanatory piece about Noble Rot and a gently controversial piece about Red Wine With Fish – The Dark Art Of Food And Wine Matching.
David was delighted to be amongst the first six Riesling Fellows inducted into the The Riesling Fellowship in December 2013 and excited to be asked to speak at the Fellowship in January 2015.
He was also busy with a website of his father’s art: www.davidcfreeman.co.uk
david@thewineryuk.com
David Smith
David’s career path could not be easily predicted, from RSPCA Inspector after leaving school (he has been a vegetarian ever since) to a decade and a half working in Insurance. In 1997 he changed direction and enrolled at Leith’s School of Food & Wine. Since graduating he has, with his wife Kathy, run a catering business, a Bed & Breakfast in Crete and a Café in Stoke Poges (winning best bacon sandwich accolades locally – somewhat ironic for a confirmed vegetarian). Armed with Diplomas from Leith’s and WSET, and stints managing Nicolas shops in Twickenham and Mayfair – wine has never been far away. David joined The Winery in 2018 and manages both our shops.
davidsmith@thewineryuk.com
Antonella Ottina’
Antonella, originally from Calabria, came to London in 2018 with her childhood sweetheart Antonino after working in hospitality on the shores of Lake Garda. She joined us in 2023 and is our full time Deputy Manager as well as a full time Mum.
Sinem Vurkaya
Is there a connection between petrochemicals and wine? If there is, you would be sure to find Sinem where they meet.
Sinem came from Turkey to London via Prague with a degree in Chemical Process Engineering. Among other things, she knows about Biomass and Coal Gasification, Kinetic Modelling of Hydrocracking of Heavy Oils, has researched how to produce biofuel from sewage and applied for a patent. She continues to consult on renewable energy waste treatment, upcycling and sustainability.
So how did she get into wine? Her father worked in a hotel and would occasionally bring home a bottle of wine or champagne. Did that have anything to do with it? Not necessarily – although that couldn’t have hurt. It wasn’t until she was working part time in a café in London that she suddenly got the wine bug, thanks to some staff training about Chilean reds. Her scientific curiosity was piqued and her journey since has been swift and effective. WSET levels were quickly attained, trips were made, stints were had. More recently Sinem has also been curating art.
sinem@thewineryuk.com
Natalie Davids
Customer turned staff member, Natalie was brought up in Cape Town, South Africa. She got into wine following a couple of years at SAWIS, the body responsible for South Africa’s Wine of Origin system, based in Paarl. She tired of the continuous sunshine and moved to London in 2004. She also tired of meat and dairy and has been a practicing vegan (with the odd “flexitarian” excursion) as long as we have known her. We share Natalie with TfL (there is no point complaining to her about tubes or taxis) and her own wine businesses (wine events and South African imports).
natalie@thewineryuk.com
