How I Got Here: Pharmacist and winemaker Róisín Curley

WHEN DID YOU BEGIN YOUR CAREER?

I spent summers working in our family pharmacy and qualified as a pharmacist at the age of 21, but my second career started much later. In 2010, I studied an MSc in viticulture and enology in Montpellier in France, and second year was in Geisenheim University in Germany. In 2012 I worked at Château Latour where I carried out research for my thesis, this was where my wine career really kicked off.

WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

It depends on where I am and which job I am focusing on, but there is always a mix of both. A typical day during harvest starts at sunrise in the vineyards in Burgundy – the grapes are picked by a team and loaded into my van, then I take them to the winery where the grapes are sorted. Red grapes are either destemmed or not, then put into a tank ready for the fermentation to begin. I don’t add yeast, my approach is very hands-off. These harvest days are long, full of heavy lifting, decision making and little sleep. A typical day in the pharmacy involves lots more than dispensing medicines; we offer services such as vaccinations, blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol measuring, and diabetes and haemoglobin screening. We are the first point of call for somebody feeling unwell, so our advice and direction can be life-changing, from treating minor ailments to recognising serious health conditions.

WHAT’S IT LIKE COMBINING TWO DIFFERENT CAREERS?

It is challenging, mainly because they are based in two countries. I travel a lot and am conscious of my carbon footprint. I try to be as sustainable as possible, using the lightest glass bottles available for my wines and not using temperature control to conserve energy in the winery. I need to be able to switch between careers, often working on my wine business for a couple of hours before starting a day at the pharmacy.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS?

Becoming a Master of Wine in 2020 is the highlight of my wine career, there are currently only 416 MWs in the world. I’m also proud of having my wine listed in the world’s top restaurants such as Restaurant Geranium in Copenhagen, the world’s best restaurant in 2022. Our pharmacy will be 90 years old next year and I am very proud to be alongside my brother continuing the business my grandfather started.

ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PHARMACY AND WINEMAKING?

Chemistry and microbiology were important parts of my pharmacy degree studies, both subjects are the foundation of winemaking so understanding the science has helped me greatly. The business and accounting sides are similar for both businesses, and dealing in alcohol and drugs are both highly regulated, so I am disciplined in both.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU’VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?

You get it back a thousand times if you are caring and good to others. I have learned to trust my palate and intuition, and to make wine that I love to drink rather than listening to the outside noise and trends. Taking the leap and studying wine full time, then starting my own business in another country was very daunting. I often wonder how I managed to ignore the voices in my head trying to talk me out of it. I just went for it.