Wine expert Lak Quach was renowned in the hospitality industry for his "exceptional palate" and vast knowledge, having quaffed some of the world's rarest vintages including a 1945 Cos d'Estournel and an 1893 Chateau Guiraud.
He graduated dux at the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2013 after beating 11 rivals to identify fine wines from France's Grand Cru vineyards and became a reviewer for the prestigious Halliday Wine Companion, considered the Bible of Australian wine.
But Mr Quach's love affair with fine wine appears to have been his undoing, and his dreams of working the harvest in Burgundy may be in tatters.
The former sommelier and vintner is under investigation by his employer, Melbourne wholesaler Cellarhand, over claims he stole up to $300,000 worth of wine while working as a specialist buyer.
The pilfered stock is understood to have been sold by Mr Quach online or offloaded at discounted prices to more than a dozen of Melbourne's most exclusive restaurants and retailers, according to several hospitality sources.
Mr Quach allegedly used the proceeds to buy collectable wines for his private cellar and is understood to have made some admissions to Cellarhand director Patrick Walsh.
The pair met in 1999, when Mr Walsh served Mr Quach a "life-changing bottle of Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett" at Langtons Restaurant and Wine Bar in Flinders Lane.
Mr Walsh refused requests for comment. It is not known if Victoria Police had been asked to investigate the theft.
Cellarhand, based in Richmond, has removed all references to Mr Quach, including his corporate profile, from the company's website.
James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion website also removed any mention of Mr Quach.
It is not known whether the restaurateurs who allegedly bought the discounted wine from Mr Quach were aware it may have been stolen.
One hospitality industry veteran, who asked not to be named, considered Mr Quach a friend. He found the alleged theft difficult to comprehend.
"He must have known he'd get caught eventually. It's a small village, Melbourne."
"It seemed compulsive," said the source. "It wasn't about buying wine to drink. It was about getting bigger and better wine to look at".
Mr Quach, who came to Australia from Vietnam as a refugee and trained as a chiropractor, is "a beautiful guy with two beautiful kids", said a hospitality source, who did not want to be named. "He had so much talent."
Mr Quach's appointment at Cellarhand in 2011 was considered big news in the wine industry, where former sommelier Patrick Walsh treated him like a son.
In a profile story in December 2015, Mr Walsh said Mr Quach's involvement with Cellarhand had brought him "a big slice of peace of mind".
"The difference he's made to our wine company (and to me and my wife Virginia) has been immense," Mr Walsh said.
In the same story by wine industry doyen James Halliday, Mr Quach spoke of his plans to work a harvest in France and make his own wine in Australia.
"I'm well aware of the challenge of my aspirations, especially as I wish to do them well, but I've always been brought up with a work ethic to strive for excellence."
Mr Quach did not respond to repeated calls to his home in Kew. His mobile phone at Cellarhand has been diverted to Mr Walsh.