Date: Fri 18-Sep-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: CAROLL

Quick Words:

Burr

Full Text:

Christopher Burr, International Head Of Christie's Wine

NEW YORK CITY -- Christopher Burr was appointed the international head of

Christie's wine department in June. Overseeing sales in London, New York and

other worldwide sales centers, he leads the global team for the firm, which,

in 1997, was the largest worldwide seller of mature fine wines, with auction

sales totaling $60 million.

Burr works closely with Michael Broadbent, author of many books on wine and

the founder and non-executive chairman of Christie's International Wine

department.

In 1985, Burr joined Bass as marketing director for Bass Mitchells & Butlers.

He was then made European director for Bass Brewers before moving to the

French wine importers Domaine Drouhin & Associates in 1990 as managing

director.

He then merged Douhin's business with the Mentzedorff, the wholly owned

subsidiary of Bollinger and Taylor's Port in the U.K., subsequently acting as

managing director of the company. Burr remains on the board of Mentzendorff

for a period of time as a non-executive director.

Burr passed his master of wine examination in 1995, winning prizes for his

papers on viticulture. After a scholarship to the Royal College of Music and

studies in the fields of economics and business in London and Oxford,

Christopher joined Hedges & Butler in 1972 as a management trainee and

progressed to director in 1981.