Cockburns of Leith, the oldest wine and spirit merchant in Scotland, has named Malcolm Ogilvie as its inaugural Wine Ambassador.
Ogilvie has been recruited to expand the Edinburgh-based company’s wine tasting offerings, bringing extensive industry experience to the new role.
Established in 1796 by brothers Robert and John Cockburn, Cockburns of Leith catered to clients such as Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, and King George IV. The city’s impressive growth during the Enlightenment era motivated the brothers to launch the business, which aimed to provide Edinburgh’s rising social classes with the finest global wines and spirits.
Murray Capital rescued the company from administration in 2010, and a new bottle shop and tasting facility opened on Frederick Street in the capital last year. Since then, Cockburns has seen significant demand for corporate and private tastings and aims to capitalise on this trend with Ogilvie’s appointment.
Ogilvie, who holds a diploma from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, joins the team with over 40 years of experience in the wine and spirit industry. He will conduct tasting events throughout Scotland, offering entertaining, educational, or themed sessions for groups of all sizes.
Keith Murray, director of Cockburns of Leith, commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Malcolm to Cockburns of Leith as a Wine Ambassador. His invaluable knowledge and experience of the industry will be a true asset. We want to provide our customers with the best possible service, and Malcolm’s appointment will ensure we can offer an exceptional level of quality in our tastings and events. We are also looking at the possibility of appointing more ambassadors later this year, to further expand this offering.”
Malcolm Ogilvie added, “I am delighted to have been appointed Cockburns’ first Wine Ambassador. In this role, I will be conducting wine tastings on behalf of Cockburns of Leith, using their fantastic range of cutting-edge wines. Having joined the wine trade before the influx of southern hemisphere wines reached our shores, I have contributed to the evolution of the modern world of wine. I look forward to applying this experience to my work for Cockburns of Leith and offering customers a unique set of insights into this fascinating subject.”