Ross Stevens grew up in the UK, where his grandfather was a wine collector. He’s had a stint at being a winemaker as well, picking up several awards, so it’s fair to say appreciating wine is a family tradition.

Having settled in Cairns some years ago, Ross has become a big fan of Australian wines which he believes benefit from the extraordinary freedom our winemakers have to create and produce some truly incredible stuff. With less top-down industry restrictions, huge climatic variation and an amazingly diverse landscape, Australia is able to produce a broader range of varietals in a wide array of styles than the old-world producing nations. “Go to wineries in Tuscany, and you’ll spend the rest of your life drinking Sangiovese, whereas, in Australia, you could have a winery in the Barossa and be tired of making Shiraz, so they think, let’s give Zinfandel a go!” he says.

Ross is never happier than when he’s talking drinks and he has the smarts to back up the passion. He is the perfect person to explain the qualities of old Burgundy and to give you a crash course on the subtleties of fiano or assyrtiko, skin contact, natural wine, or which wine goes best with generous chunks of red Leicester. He brings all this wisdom with a dash of English charm to his work managing the Sunroom Lounge and the Sunset Bar where he oversees an extensive cocktail menu, a wide variety of craft beers and very impressive wine list.