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Jerome Ake Bedia:The best swiss Sommelier is Ivorian.
recently elected best sommelier in Switzerland by the prestigious(guide Gault & Millau),Jerome Ake Beda,maitre d’hotel of Ivorian origin,accepted to answer some questions and share his passion of wines with Forbes Africa.
Forbes Africa: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD SOMMELIER?
Jerome Ake Beda: A good sommelier most have a good memory and a good manoeuvre to satisfy his guests when choosing wines.In addition he has to be passionate,humble,curious,because be it an amateur or professional,nobody is ever perfect with wines.Wine culture is a lifetime studies.
You assert that there is much to tell in a glass of wine, than in a book,how precise is that?
J.A.B:To reset the church in the middle of a village,I woud say that the quote is not from me.It is inspired by what was said by Louis Pasteur ”There is more Philosophyin a bottle of wine than in all book” truely speaking,to get a glass of wine,it should be approximately 120 days,since the begining of the vegetative cycle ,which is the final stage in maturation of the grapes that are picked to develop wines.Then comes the stage of vinification and aging of the wine until it’s implemetation in bottles for consumption.All these steps are found in a glass of wine, and any good taster must be able to transcribe by appropriate words,because wine is a symbol a means of social communion during a meal.The table of guests place each at the same social level,and a glass of wine helps to quickly untie languages which at times becomes a vector of indulgence, understanding and sympathy.
MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES ARE NOW INTO WINE PRODUCTION.TELL US THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS TO PRODUCE A GOOD WINE.
J.A.B: I dare to think that these wine projects have been preceded by ampelographic studies,because the vine being a creeper,may naturally grow everywhere but it does not guarantee that we can make a good wine.To manufacture wine,it is important to have knowledge and adequacy of the grape variety,the soil and the climate.the winemaker then puts all this in music.
F.A:More and more Africans are beginning to consume wine,do you think it’s a lifestyle or a sustainable opening towards the culture of wine?
J.A.B: I think that it is a sign of openess and sustainable developement that, to me , does not date of yesterday.for those who have known the Ivory Coast twenty or thirty years ago,they will tell you that it was an island of of stability where there were many restaurants offering renown wines,but not all Ivorians could offer.Today with the prevalence peace and economic development,I am not surprised to see the emergence of a category of Ivorians who are actively interested in the culture of ”the blood of the earth”.
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