A 52-year-old manufacturer has taken a dramatic career change to indulge in a 30-year passion for the world of fine wines.
Originally owner and managing director of Midlandsbased Buxton Group, which produced parts for the automotive industry, Clive Dickinson sold the firm to spend time travelling and visiting vineyards across the globe.
It was this hobby that led to the launch this week of Classic Wine Direct - a company which markets and supplies around 800 different New & Old World wines to corporate and private buyers in the UK.
Mr Dickinson said: "British people nowadays travel more and have more discerning pallets for wine - there is definitely a gap in the market."
Mr Dickinson began creating a selection of wines from independent vineyards. He has set-up a website providing "virtual tours" of vineyards, with an appraisal of each vineyard, includings its history, climate and topography.
"People are often worried about the pronunciation of wine names, what wines go best with what food and the qualities of different grapes, etc. I wanted to be able to take some of the mystique away."
Mr Dickinson claims his new business is far less stressful than the firm he left behind. The company formally launched at a wine-tasting event at Birmingham's Hotel du Vin.
