Harshal Shah, General Manager, Pembroke Wines (Dublin, Ireland)

Years in the Industry:
Twenty years. (Wow!!) I started as a waiter in a very good suburban restaurant in Sydney, whilst studying Law and Information Systems at university. I had developed a fondness and an interest in wine and found myself on the Board of Sydney University Wine Society. I also decided to study wine and wine service, so enrolled in the Wine Studies Certificate IV at what is now the Sydney Wine Academy under Clive Hartley and Karen Macalister. At the time, this was the benchmark wine qualification in Australia for service personnel outside of going to catering college/hotel school.

I was elected to the Committee of the Sommeliers’ Association in Sydney, and continued to work in and consult to restaurants there.

I moved to India in 2007 to work for the largest wine importer there. After my 12-month contract ended, I stayed on in India for another four years, consulting to 5-star hotels, training their staff in the WSET qualifications and wine service. In 2011, I got a consulting gig in Thailand for a Six Senses (sustainable luxury resort) property, and was their ‘flying sommelier’ for two years. Australia was home again for three years before I moved to Dublin in 2016 and joined Pembroke Wines, a small fine wine importer.
 
My Top 3 Challenges to Wellness:

1. Keeping fit is always a challenge. I actually don’t like exercise so my biggest challenge has been to find activities that maintain my fitness but also keep me engaged. I started yoga a few years ago and found that doing it 3 to 4 times a week kept me interested. I enjoyed the calming nature of it, along with the contemplative time juxtaposed with a tiny bit of physical exertion. Unfortunately, I enjoy yoga in a studio with a teacher in front of me, so I haven’t really taken to virtual yoga sessions over the last 12 months.

2. Food and drink are a big part of my life, and in our industry, typically there is a lot of both involved. The biggest challenge in this area has been learning moderation. Not every glass at a dinner has to be emptied. Sometimes, order the fish course or even go for a vegetarian option. Cut down sugar. Eat more greens.

3. Drinking less has been a challenge too. A second glass very easily follows a first. Likewise a second bottle. I actively try and have at least three alcohol-free days a week. Almost two years ago, I started importing a fantastic alcohol-free organic sparkling wine called Noughty. Drinking this has a wonderful placebo effect. It has less than 3g per 100ml of sugar, so that makes me feel even better about enjoying it.

How I Keep it Together to Stay Well: 
Drink less alcohol. Along with my (attempted) alcohol-free days, I’ve cut down beer consumption to practically zero (although sometimes, it’s hard to beat a good fresh pint of Guinness). Playing tennis once or twice a week gets the heart pumping. Listening to music in the shower every day gets my day started with me in a good mood. And cooking. I try cook as much as possible. I have more control over what goes into my body, and I find it quite relaxing.
 
What Inspires Me:
Perseverance and quality inspire me. When something is good, I wonder how it became so good – who created it, and how they persevered to make it so good. This applies to people too. I come across people who are so good at what they do, it inspires me to be the best at what I do too. And authenticity, above all, is inspiring. Authenticity of flavour, of place, of character.

My Favorite Quote: 
“Only people with no imagination can’t find a good reason to drink Champagne” – Oscar Wilde
 
You can connect with Harshal on Instagram, Facebook and the Pembroke Wines website.