Oz Clarke had an idyllic childhood in the Kent countryside. He was head chorister at Canterbury Cathedral Choir School. He acted, sang and wine-tasted his way through university, then spent a decade acting with the RSC and featuring in West End musicals - he starred as Peron in Evita.

His famous victories in high-profile wine-tasting competitions brought him jobs on two national newspapers, and in 1984 he turned to full time writing and television work. The BBC's Food and Drink made him a household name and was broadcast around the world, as were his later 'Oz and James' wine adventures with James May.

His many books have been translated into sixteen languages, he has won every major wine-writing prize, and he is an Officier de l'Ordre du Merite Agricole. When he is not visiting vineyards and wineries, chairing wine competitions or presenting innovative concerts with Armonico Consort, Oz lives in London and complains about not playing enough golf.