Emily Barclay started to set up The Perfect Wine in 2008, bringing together her love of wine and her passion for travelling in Europe. After reading French at university, and already armed with her wine qualifications, Emily gained valuable management experience at a large high street wine merchants. But the lure of France was too strong, and Emily spent the next five years in the French Alps working in the ski industry and building on her knowledge of regional wines.

Returning to her home in Norfolk in a bid to find a 'proper' job, Emily worked for a small wine merchants, but the idea to go it alone began to take shape. In December 2008 Emily began carefully selecting wines and developing her list, sourced from small and regional producers who share her commitment to bringing great wines to a wider audience, before officially launching as an independent wine merchant in February 2009.