
Alex Kovalov
aka riesling snob
Hey Wine Lover,
How's it going? My name is Alex and if you've landed on this page, it means you're curious about wines and want to be part of a dynamic community of like-minded peers.
As for me, it's been quite a ride so far, and it's only just the beginning. I've been in the industry since an early age since my family was in the restaurant and entrepreneurship business. I started as a busboy in my dad's restaurant and gradually worked my way up to the bar and eventually the restaurant floor. I was fortunate enough to study hospitality and exhibition business in Kiev, where I discovered my passion for wine.
I always felt that my professional future lay abroad, and in my early 20s, I decided to pursue my Master's degree in Poznan, Poland. It was there that I specialized in wine, and my school had a wide network of hotels and restaurants for internships. I was lucky enough to spend some time in Italy and France, which was an unforgettable experience.
Next, I moved to Dubai, where I met Chris (scroll down for his testimony). It's funny how life plans things way ahead of time. We worked together for years before going our separate ways, but we're back together now and fueling our mission to change the wine industry and the way people perceive wine in the Middle East.
Let's get back on topic. I was fortunate enough to work with someone like Garry Rhodes (if you haven't heard of him, Google him), a true leader and gentleman, who introduced me to the wine business and how broad it is. Read, work, taste, repeat became my life for several years as I constantly pursued knowledge and expanded my personal horizons.
After Garry's chapter, I worked briefly with Sean Connolly on his wine program before moving on to work under Nick Alvis and Scott Price, both ex-Gordon Ramsey chefs. With their tough love, my personal and professional standards exceeded all my dreams.
That was the end of my Hospitality chapter, and I moved to the "dark side" - a change that came at just the right time. I started my career from scratch in the distribution and import of alcoholic beverages with MMI, which has one of the most impressive wine portfolios worldwide.
At the same time, I managed to complete my WSET Diploma and become a proud DipWSET in a record 23 months. I always knew that in the future, I would become an MW (Master of Wine), and during that period of pursuing my diploma, I had no other option but to push forward.
Almost 10 years in Dubai have shaped me, and I have a clear vision that Dubai can be the next wine destination worldwide. By using my experience and willingness to share my knowledge, I know we're on the right track.
Thanks for reading all of the above. I know there were a lot of sentiments, but it was important to help you understand me, Chris, and our mission. Graft Collab is our tool to translate and fuel it to the world.
Join our tribe of crazy wine geeks.
May the wine be with you.

Christiaan Olivier
aka wine punk
One of the first experiences that made him realize that his heart was in hospitality was when he was hosting functions on a wine farm. The owner of the farm invited him to help choose the wines for the evening dinner, but his knowledge was very limited. The owner opened a red wine that had a French label and asked him his opinion of the wine. He was blown away by what he was experiencing – he was able to recognize aromas in a wine for the first time. He was immediately captivated.
This was the start of his journey.
He realized that if he wanted to choose this life, that he would have to start with the basic – he needed to learn how to cook. After the studies he was lucky to work with some great chef’s that helped him with the fundamentals and then went on to travel and cook in places such as China, Seychelles, Mauritius.
However, he was also missing the guest experience part plus the being away from learning more about wine and the culture of wine, made him return to the floor. He worked from the ground up – continuously furthering his studies in business management (while working for a wine farm and being part of their sales and marketing team), sommelier and a multitude of other beverage & food disciplines.
After many openings of properties and venues, running of large and medium sized operations and experiencing many disciplines in the art of hospitality, he decided to move to Dubai.
He started his career in Dubai at the Grosvenor House Hotel, which is respected as the “university or hospitality” in Dubai, with venues such as Buddha Bar, Sidhharta, Toro Toro and Bar44. He was the manager for the pre-opening of Rhodes W1, after which he was promoted to Complex Beverage Manager for Grosvenor House Hotel and Le Royal Meridian Resort and Hotel. He was later promoted to the Director of Beverage, Entertainment and Promotions in Grosvenor House Hotel. He was also overseeing the operations of the nighttime venues, such as Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar, Buddha Bar, Toro Toro and Bar44.
Currently he is the Multi Property Beverage Manager & Sommelier for The St. Regis Downtown Dubai and Delta DIP.
He is continuously driven to improve the world of being a Sommelier. He has created Flight Club DXB – a junior Sommelier community that focuses on education, culture of being a sommelier and sharing the art and knowledge of wine with anyone that wants to engage. On social media he crated: @CorkItUpNow – sharing wine information, culture and design – Podcast: Better Sommelier – giving advice and wisdom on how to be a better sommelier and human.
He is also a partner in the Breakfast Wine Club – weekly wine master classes and blind tastings hosted for future DipWSET and Advance CMS students.
Favorite Quote: Step up for people, don’t step on top of people.
Three Words: Creative, Conscientious, Mercurial
If I were a grape: Pinot Noir