Q&A: Valentin Mouillard, group head sommelier for L’Enclume and Simon Rogan Restaurants

Like so many of the world's top wine professionals, Valentin Mouillard was exposed to the rhythms of hospitality - and viticulture - from a young age. It's almost a fairytale: a childhood in the western Loire, with a father who ran a restaurant and grandparents who made wine in the Jura. Thus it was probably inevitable that Mouillard would go on to study hospitality, although in his formative years he never expected to swap France for rural Cumbria. But that's exactly what happened, after a phone call from an old friend led him to the then little-known L'Enclume in Cartmel, where he joined as a commis sommelier in 2016.

His feet have not touched the ground since - Mouillard rose to head sommelier at L'Enclume in 2019, helping to shape its innovative wine programme as the restaurant developed into one of the UK's most acclaimed dining destinations. Has it gone to his head? Absolutely not; Mouillard remains guided by curiosity, a commitment to discovery and an instinctive sense of hospitality rather than ego. He has long favoured breadth over obviousness, bringing together established regions and lesser-known producers, with a particular affection for small growers and wines that can challenge a guest's expectations. Over a glass of something suitably esoteric, James Lawrence sits down with the group head sommelier to find out more. 

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in France, by the seaside near Nantes, home of Muscadet. I was lucky enough to have a father who owned a restaurant, so I basically grew up running around in it. I had my first hospitality experiences naturally, as soon as I was able to carry a plate or a tray of glasses to the regulars and friends who came into the restaurant.

What’s your first wine memory?

I think my first wine memory was pouring champagne into a champagne fountain at a wedding when I was a kid. I must have been about six years old. It was probably my first indication that I wanted to work in hospitality when I became an adult. Or, more accurately, I wanted to be a champagne pourer, as I told my parents. I suppose I didn’t end up too far from that ambition.

You’ve gone from commis sommelier at L’Enclume to overseeing the drinks programme across Simon Rogan’s restaurants. What has changed most in the way you think about wine, and what principle from those early days has stayed absolutely constant?

Nowadays I don’t just think about wine, and that’s the main thing. I was already introduced to spirits and cocktails, but they were just there. Now we really focus on everything related to beverages, from wines, cocktails and spirits to non-alcoholic drinks, using ingredients from the farm or our surroundings.

Previously, we used locally sourced drinks, nowadays we make everything on site. We don’t buy in any finished non-alcoholic bases.

What has stayed constant is the idea of diversity from around the world and showcasing different wine-producing countries without repeating them in the pairings, as well as using smaller growers as much as we can.

As fine dining becomes increasingly focused on hospitality and accessibility, what does genuinely democratic wine service look like at the top end of the restaurant industry?

I think it’s about being able to move between friendliness and precision. Even if we are being casual in our approach and having fun, we are in total control of our environment. Every single detail around us is being checked, either by myself or by my colleagues, so we are all delivering the same set of standards.

I like to treat our guests as if they were coming into my house. You come in, you chill, you enjoy yourself. You finish your drink, and what do we go for next?

When you know me, you discover very quickly that you would never find an empty glass in front of my guests. There is always something new to try.

You have a reputation for championing smaller, independent producers and wines that can surprise guests. How do you balance the desire to discover something new with the commercial responsibility of building a drinks list that has to sell?

It’s always a battle indeed, but I do like a challenge and showcasing smaller producers remains a priority. You come to dine in a restaurant because you want to try something new or different.

Yes, you will find a few big names on our wine list, but not necessarily the most common wines or the top-end bottles that you might associate with the reason why these guys are known.

In general, what you might recognise as a classic isn’t necessarily what you would expect. We like to take classic regions and grapes and show them in a different way.

2026 is proving a difficult environment for hospitality, with consumers scrutinising what they spend. When a guest who might once have ordered a £150 bottle is now hesitating at £100, how do you encourage them to spend more without making them feel they’re being sold to?

It’s about offering different options. We introduced carafes, more wine by the glass and soft-drink options.

At the end of the day, guests are here for a good time. Especially in the Lake District, you don’t come to visit us for a business meeting when you’re rushing to your next appointment; you come to relax.

Carafes offer a way to explore wine at a lower price point. Guests might opt for two carafes rather than a single bottle, sometimes spending even more than they would have on the bottle.

Where do you see the biggest opportunity to encourage guests to spend more today: moving them from a standard bottle to a more ambitious wine, encouraging them to opt for a pairing, or persuading them to explore categories they might not normally consider?

Pairing has always been the one for us. Our menus and food offering suit them very well.

It’s fun, and we put a lot of effort into them, which the guests realise. They might never have gone for a bottle at £180, but two pairings at £90 feel like the right choice.

English wine has become an increasingly important part of the Simon Rogan drinks programme. What makes a wine earn a place on your list, regardless of fashion, provenance or prestige?

No matter the region or provenance, it makes it on to the list because we like it and we are happy to serve it. We do like to promote English wine and local producers, but we do this because we believe in the quality of these products.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give your younger self?

Keep pushing, listening and discovering. Attack.

Finally, how do you switch off?

I have the chance to live in the Lake District. When you leave the restaurant, it’s quiet and I’m only a 10-minute drive from home, so switching off is easier (even if I don’t really switch off, let’s be honest).

But to really switch off, I go climbing, either outdoors when the weather is nice or indoors. It’s perfect because it’s just you versus the wall and nothing else. You can’t think about work, or you fall…