Marinela Ivanova oversees the beverage programme for The World, Residences at Sea, the world’s largest privately owned residential yacht. A certified sommelier, and a holder of the WSET Diploma, she is responsible for the 1,200-label wine list and 15,000-bottle wine cellar on board.
How did you get here?
I joined The World 15 years ago, after working as a waitress at a fine-dining restaurant in Germany. Coming from eastern Europe, which was still emerging after the fall of the Iron Curtain, I had never encountered the profession of a sommelier before. It was love at first sight.
What’s the best thing about your work?
Visiting places, exploring terroirs, meeting the dedicated individuals behind each wine, and unravelling the stories behind their creation.
What’s the most common misconception about what you do?
When I embarked on my career 25 years ago, there was a prevailing assumption that the perfect sommelier had to be male, sport a French accent, carry an air of intimidation with a tastevin around their neck, and push expensive wines onto customers. Fortunately, those days are long gone.
What’s your greatest achievement?
It happened nine years ago when World of Fine Wine awarded our ship’s wine list three stars, the highest possible, and recognised us as Best Ship Wine List, which we have retained ever since.
And your greatest mistake?
Over the years I’ve experienced the usual mishaps, from spilling wine on people to opening the wrong vintage. Most recently we had a funny moment during a cocktail
