The Team
FRANCK MOREAU
MASTER SOMMELIER
Born in Burgundy, France, Franck grew up surrounded by vineyards. After graduating with a Baccalaureate majoring in Hospitality, Franck began his sommelier career working at some of France’s most prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants, before moving to the UK, and finally Australia, joining Merivale in 2005. Today, Franck is the Group General Manager of Beverage and is responsible for over 70 venues throughout Sydney, leading a team of over 40 sommeliers & 40 bartenders. Throughout his career Franck has received multiple awards and accolades, most recent being the Gourmet Traveller Wine Len Evans Award for Leadership (2019), the first non-winemaker to receive this honour. He’s one of just seven Master Sommeliers in Australia.
SAM EDGERTON
GROUP BAR MANAGER
Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, Sam moved to Sydney 13 years ago and has been working for Merivale for the last 8 years, having been involved in hospitality since he was 16. Sam was an integral part of the Palmer & Co. team which was awarded 21st Best Bar in the World in 2012, and opened Charlie Parker’s in 2016 which won 'Cocktail Bar Of The Year' at the ALIAs and ‘Sustainable Bar Of The Year’ at the Australian Bar Awards in 2017. That same year he was named 7th in the Australian Bartender Magazine’s Most Influential List, ranking 6th in 2019. Sam currently works as Merivale’s Group Bars Manager where he oversees front line performance, focusing on people, product, service and growth.
ADRIAN FILIUTA
MASTER SOMMELIER
Native to Romania, Adrian’s passion for wine started at a young age, growing up around the family’s vineyards. He started his wine studies in London in 2008, before moving to Sydney in 2012, where he started his journey with Merivale and the Court Of Master Sommeliers, under Franck Moreau’s mentorship. In 2014, Adrian was a finalist in the Best Sommelier of Australia Competition, and in 2015, the winner of the Ruinart Challenge. In 2017, Adrian achieved the Master Sommelier title, and now, as the Merivale Group Sommelier, manages the wine business across the entire group whilst leading a team of over 30 sommeliers.
NATASHA CAPOL
SOMMELIER
Half Swiss, half Indian-Portuguese, Natasha spent her childhood in both Malaysia and Switzerland. Her passion for travel - fueled by a desire to learn about different cultures - has seen her live all around the world. A trained actor and dancer, Natasha was professional salsa performer for years, bartending on the side. A burgeoning appreciation for whisky saw her make the journey to Scotland, where she found herself working in the distillery at Talisker, learning the ins and outs of whisky-making. Today, she’s The Bar Manager at Mr. Wong, bringing together her passion for people and product, whilst undergoing WSET studies to become a sommelier.