ABOUT ME
HamrinOvin is a small company founded by myself, Kerstin Hamrin, in 2019 and born out of passion for wine - a phrase slightly overused but nevertheless very true. Having pursued other careers in the past and present, the thirst for knowledge about wine and its creation led me to the WSET study program, which fueled my interest even further along with the desire to work with wine professionally.
The combination of food and wine, how they interact with another and come together as a greater sum is one of the things that fascinates me the most. Studying the wine list at a restaurant can be anything from thrilling to disappointing, and quite often the wines sold by the glass are bland and boring.
Fine wine does not have to be either expensive nor boast with Parker-points. On the contrary, I always find it exciting to discover lesser known/smaller producers with a dedication to quality and respect for nature and I am very proud to be able to present some of these at HamrinOvin. The concept of rating wine on a scale is in my opinion too flawed to be used with good conscience. Quality wines,more often than not, live long lives and any tasting note is a mere snapshot of the wine at this point in time. Neither wine expert nor wine will perform the same every day, and as I hate being judged by a five minute first impression myself, I find it unfair to reduce a wine to any number of digits. Although quite a few of the wines presented on these pages can boast with high ratings, I have therefore chosen not to list these as sales arguments.
Not being a traditional wine retailer, the aim is also to offer restaurants as well as end consumers correctly stored, maturer wines and champagnes at a reasonable price. Future events will include vertical as well as horizontal studies of selected regions, in particular Champagne, which holds a special place in my heart.
Learning about and appreciating wine is a never-ending journey which continues to fascinate me - here is what I've been up to so far:
COURSES COMPLETED:
Jan 2016 WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits - Pass with Distinction
June 2016 WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits - Pass with Distinction
Aug 2018 WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits - Pass with Merit
April 2019 Weinakademie Österreich Graduation Weinakademiker , Winner of Philipp Schwander Tasting Trophy
May 2020 Wine Scholar Guild Master Level Champagne
