“It’s been an amazing journey for us, just in terms of who we’ve met and who we count as our close friends,” he said. “I would say enjoying fine wine is one of the common threads, so that’s important to our overall lives outside of our work. Then, I was fortunate to find a way to marry my passions of asset management and fine wine for work, so I consider myself quite lucky.”
Tiwari was interested in making wine a recognized asset class in North America, just as it was in Europe and Asia. So, he drew up a business plan with Carrie Tuck, now Cult Wines America’s chief marketing officer, and brought Cult Wines to this continent. Cult Wines was originally started by UK-based Tom Gearing and his father Philip, and Tiwari is now spearheading the business in Canada, the United States, Caribbean, and Latin America. They’re also seeing large returns in the champagne market.
Tiwari enjoys where the journey has taken him. He enjoys wine, but also the intellectual challenge of understanding the winemaking process and results – and the romance of it. He said that involves talking to winemakers about their passion and what’s driven them to make these wines, but also discovering the story and stories behind when the wines were made. He’s also following the impact of climate change, which is changing where various wines can be grown.
“I wanted to be able to pull those two passions of fine wine and asset management together, so it’s a dream job,” said Tiwari.
“A lot of people are working in jobs that they’re not really happy with. It’s a cliché, but I think it’s important that you’re happy in what you’re doing. So, if you can find a way to take an interest and turn it into a job or occupation or career, that’s great.
