Matt Aitchison, winner of Top 100 Sommeliers 2026 New Zealand explains why mentorship, service, and the wines that shape the floor are so important.

Wine careers rarely begin with grand intentions. More often, they start with a foot in the door and a willingness to do the unglamorous work. For Matt Aitchison, that first step came at just fifteen years old, applying for a kitchen porter role while studying for end of year exams, with little idea of what the job would actually involve. “I quickly found out that a lot of scrubbing was involved,” he recalls.

The restaurant was a busy, much loved converted villa that his parents frequented, and that helped him land the role. But it was what happened after service that left a lasting impression. At the end of the night, the team would gather around the fireplace in the bar, glass of wine in hand, talking through the day. “It really struck me how interested and passionate they were about wine,” Aitchison says. “They would talk at length about what they were drinking, from varietals and flavours to what was happening in the industry.”

At the time, he did not fully grasp how influential those early mentors were within the restaurant world. But the romance of wine, and the way it brought people together, stayed with him. Working full time at a spin off of the original restaurant only deepened that influence. “The manager was just as dedicated and energetic, if not more so,” he says. “He named his Alsatian Shiraz, and his newborn son after his favourite producer in the Barossa Valley.”

Those personalities, and that sense of shared enthusiasm, formed the foundation of his hospitality career. Though initially out of his depth, Aitchison grew into the role through experience, confidence, and a desire to follow in the footsteps of the people who first inspired him.

The buzz of the floor

Ask Aitchison what still excites him about wine service today, and the answer is immediate. It is the human element. “We all enjoy the connection and rapport we build with guests,” he says. “There is pressure, adrenaline, and then that sense of accomplishment at the end of a long day executed as well as it possibly could have been.”

Wine service, for him, is about anticipation and intuition. Reading the table, understanding what a guest wants sometimes before they articulate it, and delivering recommendations with confidence and care. Working with degustation menus offers particular satisfaction. “It gives us the opportunity to pair wines with dishes guests may not have thought of, and to introduce wines they may never have tried before.”

Ultimately, the reward is personalisation. “There is a real sense of satisfaction in knowing you have tailored a guest’s experience as closely as possible to what they were individually looking for.” And then there is the team. “Front and back of house, these are people you see more often than your actual family most of the time.”

What is he drinking now?

When it comes to personal taste, Aitchison is currently drawn to aromatic wines with lift and precision. “Anything interesting and fragrant, preferably with pronounced, refreshing minerality,” he says. Food plays a big role in those choices. He cites crudo dishes with South East Asian inspired dressings as a favourite pairing, particularly alongside slightly sweet Riesling. “It just bounces off the dish amazingly.”

Pressed for a desert island bottle, though, he does not hesitate. “It would still be red Burgundy.” On the floor, however, his approach is far more fluid. “As far as recommendations go, it is completely about what the guest is looking for,” he explains. “Every instance is unique, depending on their aspirations, the menu structure, and budget. Steering them in the right direction, regardless of the wine, is always the goal.”

Wine trends & New Zealand hospitality

Looking at the broader New Zealand dining scene, Aitchison sees a clear shift in what guests are asking for. Chief among them is a renewed appreciation for Chardonnay. “We really overcooked oak in the eighties and nineties,” he says, referring to heavy handed use of barrels, staves, and chips. “That led to a couple of decades of ABC, Anything But Chardonnay.”

Today, he believes the category has found its balance again. “We have become more intelligent and refined in how we make Chardonnay. There is now a broad range available, from lean and mineral to full bodied and round, without crossing the lines of sensibility.”

As a result, New Zealand Chardonnay is enjoying something of a renaissance, with drinkers once again embracing the soft tropical fruit profile the country does so well.

Pinot Noir remains a favourite, but guests are becoming more adventurous. “People are more informed and educated now,” Aitchison notes, “and they are branching out to secondary regions like Martinborough and Marlborough, rather than defaulting to Central Otago.”

From those early nights by the fireplace to the intensity of modern service, Matt Aitchison’s career reflects a simple truth about wine hospitality. Knowledge matters, but people matter more. Mentorship, curiosity, and connection remain at the heart of great service, long after the last glass is poured.