Meet the Team
“At the heart of what we do is a passion for wine, especially the wines of Bordeaux, and the commitment to share this passion with our clients.”
Andy Lench
GV Wine Merchants UK was established in 1998 by Bordeaux expert Andy Lench. Andy’s talent for spotting great wine at good prices allowed him to develop Bordeaux Wine Locators in 1987, an enormously successful business importing wines from Bordeaux and other classic regions into the USA. Click here to learn more about Andy’s group of fine wine companies.
Kevin Narborough
Kevin looks after all trade enquiries and is the longest serving employee with GV Wine Merchants. With over 40 years of experience in the wine industry, he has a fantastic wealth of knowledge when it comes to Bordeaux, having visited the region for the En Primeur tastings every year since the 2000 vintage, giving us many years of first-hand experience and knowledge of these wines and the producers that make them. Rest assured however, Kev’s expertise is not only limited to Bordeaux.
Martin Lea
Martin joined the GVWM team in 2007 having come from Majestic Wine where he obtained a very good grounding in the wine industry from a retail perspective. Martin quickly adapted and changed to the professional and service driven model of GV Wine Merchants and along the way found time to study and obtain his WSET Diploma further strengthening his knowledge and credentials within the wine industry. Martin opened the Hong Kong office for GV Wine Merchants in October 2011 and has led the growth and development with great enthusiasm and energy delivering great success for GV Wine Merchants and his many clients. He was appointed Head of Private Client Sales for UK & Asia in November of 2017, and in February 2018 relocated to our office in the UK to manage and expand our private client sales operation.
Alister Rayner
Alister joined the GV Wine Merchants team in May 2019, following more than a decade working with fine wine collectors and investors in England and the US. After a career developing and marketing financial investments, Alister obtained his Wine MBA from the Royal Agricultural College. He worked in the vineyards of Bordeaux before cutting his wine teeth in the London trade, and then spent a number of years in Los Angeles, trading with merchants, dealers, and collectors through the auction houses in the States and Asia, returning to the wine investment market in London in 2016. He has been a judge for a number of years at the International Wine Challenge and is a passionate proponent of both English and Californian wines.
Jodie Askew
Jodie re-joined the GV Wine Merchants team in 2022 in the dual role of Accounts and Office Manager. She previously worked with us from 2008 – 2014, initially in logistics, before moving into Accounts Support in 2011. Between leaving and returning, Jodie studied to gain her AAT qualifications. Jodie has worked in the accounts department of a manufacturing and retail company, producing products for babies and children. After which, she worked as a senior finance assistant in the private care sector, where she deepened her knowledge of accounts and gained vital managerial experience. Jodie has returned with breadth and depth of experience in business that makes her an invaluable asset, bringing a discipline and reassuring thoroughness to the company.
Tracy Narborough-Jago
Tracy has many years of experience in the wine business and as logistics manager prior to joining the company in 2006. Her experience, knowledge and dedication has been a major benefit to the company, ensuring that our logistics requirements are handled as efficiently as possible – a major requirement for a wine merchant with both UK and overseas movement of fine wines.
Christine Reeves
Christine is an integral part of the team, providing support to the Sales, Logistics and Credit Control functions. Christine joined GV Wine Merchants team in 2015 bringing over 10 years experience, having previously worked in business support and import/export co-ordinator roles.
Katie Thornton
Katie provides invaluable administrative support to the Sales, Logistics and Accounts Departments. Katie joined GV Wine Merchants team in 2016 and has soon become a fundamental part of our team.
