Mark’s interest in the provenance and remarkable people behind the history of whisky and fine spirits including Gin, Sherry, Rum, Port & Madeira, Cognac & Armagnac plus the wines of Bordeaux, Tuscany & three classic regions of Northern Spain developed during a successful sales career spanning 40 years. His main subjects are Scotch & Irish whiskies, which he believes to be ‘the best social lubricant on the planet’. His range of lectures provide particular relevance to British Isles itineraries calling around the Scottish and Irish ports where the connections to whisky are very strong. His talks can be tailored to not only provide insight regarding distilleries relevant to ports of call, but also (should the opportunity present to run an on-board tasting) highlighting products on sale in ship’s bars and shops, providing a win-win situation. His other wine and spirit talks tailor well with Northern & Western Europe destination ports where excursions to their sources of production are often listed.

Mark has been giving these lectures and hosting Whisky Tastings including Burns Night Suppers for clubs and societies for over ten years, and is an accomplished MC and confident speaker, to date claiming to have always been able to leave an auditorium with his head held high, but never his feet held higher.

He lives in South Yorkshire with his long-suffering wife and a contented drinks cabinet.

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LECTURES ON SCOTCH & WORLD WHISKIES

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1. SCOTCH WHISKY: A BOTTLED HISTORY
The history of Scotch Whisky and major events which have shaped the industry.

2. A SCOTCH WHISKY DYNASTY
The Founding Families & Figures, whose names still feature on well-known brands today.

3. WHISKIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
A whistle stop tour around the globe, featuring whiskies from the UK, Ireland, USA, Japan & others.

4. THE WHISKY PRODUCING REGIONS OF SCOTLAND
Looks at the six production areas of Scotland and the regional differences in their whiskies.

5. WHISKIES OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Although dominated by Scotland, other parts of the UK & Ireland offer up fascinating stories and more choice for the discerning drinker.

6. HOW WHISKY IS MADE
A guide to the five stages of whisky making: Malting, Mashing, Fermentation, Distillation & Maturation.

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OTHER WINE & SPIRIT LECTURES

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7. GIN: A BOTTLED HISTORY
From the Romans discovering the medicinal properties of juniper berries through to medieval Dutch Genever and devastating effects on British 17th century society, Gin is now on an upsurge with many craft distillers in production around the world.

8. SHERRY: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Sherry had established a fine reputation throughout the world during the 16th century Elizabethan era, which in turn opened up the British market. After many peaks and troughs, it is back in favour with a healthy cocktail culture.

9. RUM: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Derived from sugar cane or molasses, the 17th century origins of rum are embedded in the culture of the Caribbean, slave labour and dubious trading practices before its association with Naval tradition prior to modern day manufacture.

10. PORT & MADEIRA: A BOTTLED HISTORY
The best-known fortified wines from Portugal and its island colony of Madeira have their roots firmly embedded in British trading history going back over 500 years as revealed by some of the most famous names on their bottles.

11. COGNAC & ARMAGNAC: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Cognac is recognised as the premium French spirit and is exported to over 160 countries around the world. Armagnac is a lesser-known and more artisanal product, but both have fascinating histories and advocates on a global scale.

12. CALVADOS: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Exclusively made in the French region of Normandy, Calvados is a brandy distilled from cider which in turn is manufactured from classically apples but also pears. From its 15th century origins, Calvados is a popular digestif whether an old vintage or a young blend.

13. BORDEAUX WINES: A BOTTLED HISTORY
The Bordeaux wine region is more renown for its famous reds where Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties dominate, but also produces excellent sweet whites including Barsac and Sauternes made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

14. TUSCANY WINES: A BOTTLED HISTORY
The Tuscany region produces the highest proportion of Italian wines and is famous for Chiantis and other expressions where the Sangiovese grape dominates. It also is responsible for one of the best white varieties, Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

15. GALICIAN WINES: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Galicia in North West Spain has a unique climate and terrain compared to the rest of the country which provides ideal conditions for producing white wines of world class from the Albarino grape. Quality red wines can also be found in the region.

16. CATALONIA WINES: A BOTTLED HISTORY
Catalonia in North East Spain is the most pioneering wine region in the country. The Penedes appellation produces nearly of all of the nation’s Cava white sparkling wine in addition to award-winning reds from Priorat & Montsant.

17. RIOJA & BASQUE WINES: A BOTTLED HISTORY
The Basque Country features three regions producing sparking dry white wines known as Txakoli. Neighbouring Rioja provides a plethora of wines, most notably reds made from Tempranillo grapes.

Mark’s interest in whisky and fine spirits (Gin,Rum,Port,Madeira, Cognac & Armagnac) developed during a sales career spanning 40 years. His main subjects are Scotch & Irish whiskies, and as an accomplished speaker and MC he has hosted many Burns Suppers in addition to giving talks and tastings.He has completed voyages with Princess and P&O Cruises to date.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.