You only have to walk through the entrance of TOPS @ Lifestyle to know that the magnificent wine selection on offer at this world-class liquor store is carefully and thoughtfully curated. Eamonn Dowling plays a huge part in this process.

Soft-spoken and humble, Eamonn is a born-and-bred Dubliner who has lived in South Africa for over 34 years. Since its exciting revamp in 2020, Eamonn has been the TOPS @ Lifestyle go-to liquor specialist, bringing a wealth of knowledge from over 40 years of retail experience and, more importantly, a deep passion for viticulture.

Eamonn could never have known while walking amidst the vineyards in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux region of France while on a school tour at age 16, that one day this would be both his career … and his life’s fascination.

“I had no idea how significant that trip would be. I fell in love with the wine-making process – from seeing the grapes on the vine to touring the cellars and meeting the winemakers – I was captivated. It was a pivotal moment in my life.”

Born on the Northern side of Dublin, Eamonn is the third youngest in a family of 10 children. “I grew up in a working-class family. Whatever we had, we worked for. When that opportunity to go to France came up, I had to get a job to pay for my flight. I started working as a trolley-pusher and bag-packer at our local supermarket.”

It turned out that would be the start of a lifelong retail career for Eamonn. Despite having a more technical background (fixing cars, buses and trucks alongside his older engineer brother), Eamonn decided working outside in the cold wasn’t for him! “I chose to finish high school and work part-time at the store instead. I made my way up to trainee manager, but my goal was always to get into the wine department,” he laughs.
While working at the store, Eamonn completed basic, intermediate, and advanced wine courses. “I loved it. It just came easily to me, especially learning about the different wine regions.”

Eamonn spent the next 10 years working for the supermarket before his feet started to get itchy.
“I had always wanted to travel. I visited my brothers in the UK and my sister in Australia, where I worked in a supermarket, and was fascinated by how differently people did things in other parts of the world.”

In 1990 Eamonn visited his other sister, in Durban North, South Africa. While on a holiday visa, he worked part-time at a pub before eventually getting permanent residence. He got his first job with the Spar group at Buxton’s Spar in Umhlanga in 1993.

“I’ve been with the Spar group ever since,” he says, “and my interest in wine continued to grow. When I heard about the new TOPS @ Lifestyle, I sent my CV. I met with Bruce and Paul, who shared their vision for the store with me and asked if I would like to be part of the journey. I jumped at the opportunity. I felt so lucky to be involved in the process from the start. Being given the freedom to outline the wine selection has been an incredible honour. There is nothing else like this store in the country,” he says, proudly.

Beyond its expansive wine department, TOPS @ Lifestyle also offers beautiful, intimate spaces for their gin and whisky collections, a range of other exclusive liquor, , a walk-in beer fridge, and other retail offerings, like biltong, cigars, gifts, and snacks.
Eamonn prioritizes developing his staff. “I love bringing them on this journey with me, and I’m developing their eyes, noses, and palates so they can be there when I can’t,” he says.

When he’s not at the store or researching national and international wine trends, Eamonn is usually found with his wife of 22 years, Linda, and their fur children, planting and caring for their fruit trees at their Durban North home. He also enjoys swimming in the ocean.
The big question, though, is what Eamonn will have in his wine glass this festive season! “That’s difficult to answer. There are many fantastic wines in our store. If I had to choose though, I would say Survivor Sauvignon Blanc as a white, and the Zandvliet Kalkveld Shiraz as my go-to red!”