Simon Larkin MW

Spear’s Review

When Master of Wine Simon Larkin says he got ‘side-tracked by wine’, it’s less a euphemism and more a description of his career.

Instead of pursuing a City trade, he spent 14 years advising HNWs on their fine wine collections before establishing Atlas Fine Wines in 2010. The firm provides private clients who are seeking expert advice on collecting wines with deep market knowledge and an international network.

The Atlas team offers clients a truly personal service. ‘We’re able to take someone from fairly early days, build their confidence and guide them to gradually understand what they’re looking to achieve,’ Larkin said.

Adviser Profile

‘Sadly, most fine wine is sold in an overly simplified way. I prefer a more informative route, which is more in the client’s interests,’ Larkin says. The Atlas approach is to provide all necessary background and to qualify advice so that the client understands the rationale behind the offer, whether for consumption or investment.

With the acquisition of a company specialising in the sale of single bottles as well as annual online auctions focusing on the rarest wines in the world, Atlas’ fine wine activities are certainly broad-ranging and engaging. The fact that Larkin is still so hands-on, speaking to clients each day, only adds to the sense of a highly professional, niche fine wine provider in tune with its growing client base.