Who am I ? Thomas, the Little Oenophile with Big Dreams :
his isn’t necessarily the exercise I’m most comfortable with. However, I think it’s important to introduce myself when talking about wine. It’s natural to be cautious about opinions shared through a screen, and that’s completely understandable !
So here I am, Thomas, 26 years old. I fell in love with wine during my teenage years, in a rather ordinary way, and I’ve never looked back. I’m still passionate about this incredibly vast world—truly, truly vast. It makes you feel so small, but it’s amazing to wander its long paths, meeting people, discovering wine, and learning about the technical aspects!
I stumbled into the world of wine in a simple yet beautiful way, like love at first sight. I was 14 when I accompanied my father to visit some friends. Like any good French dinner, we were first swept up by… the aperitif!
At the time, I wasn’t particularly fond of wine—in fact, I didn’t even like it much. That red wine, dry and sometimes harsh, making you grimace and cough, isn’t always the best way to whet your appetite, so to speak.
The aperitif begins. I find myself a bit alone at the end of the table, going about my business while the conversations around me heat up. Naturally, my father offers me a taste of some wine, unaware that I would quickly become quite the enthusiast (a professional one, of course; here we appreciate the art of the bottle). He pours me a white wine, apparently sweet, very cold, in a simple glass.
I admit, without wanting to embellish too much, that when I taste it, I am incredibly surprised by what I discover. It’s sweet, and of course, for a teenager of my generation, I like it! I like it a lot; it’s super fruity, very refreshing, and it tastes like the jam my great-grandmother used to make, the one she served us during our crêpe afternoons with my brothers and me.
It’s amazing what a flavor can evoke; our taste buds are so closely linked to our minds and hearts. I love what my mouth has encountered, and I somewhat shamefully enjoy what I’ve just consumed (I’m not of legal drinking age, and I’m quite modest about it).
So I find myself eyeing this thing on the table, this bottle that has been much more marked by the passage of time than I have. I want to know; I want to understand what I’ve just tasted. What is it? Why is it so good? Is this allowed? How is it done? I grab the bottle out of curiosity and see a few mentions that I don’t understand. The only thing I remember is “Vouvray.” When I decide to read a bit more, I wipe the dust that has settled there with my thumb…
Unfortunately, the label, damp and worn by time, tears under my thumb, rendering it unreadable. Thus, I had just begun my adventure !
My studies, slowly but surely !
I’m at an age where we’re constantly asked the same question: “What do you want to do later ?” Honestly ? I have no idea, but I think I’m onto something. I’ve always wanted to work in connection with the earth, with the outdoors. I used to spend my days behind a computer with my friends, but I wanted my work to involve contact with nature.
I do some research: is wine complicated ? Is grape-growing complicated? “Oh yes ! Very complicated, especially when you’re not the child of a winemaker !” We’ll see about that. So, I begin my studies at the Agricultural High School of Cosne-sur-Loire, in Nièvre, in a vocational program. It’s a path that poses its challenges. My class is mostly filled with children of winemakers, but there are still a few brave souls like me trying this out without any prior knowledge. Everything is going pretty well. I’m curious, not the strongest, not the weakest ; I’m managing, and that suits me just fine. I can feel my passion growing stronger !
BEPA (Certificate of Agricultural Vocational Studies)
My second year is going very well, but with a desire for closeness, I decide to change schools to continue my studies. This time, I find myself at the Lycée de la Gabillière in Amboise, in Indre-et-Loire, a school that is more focused on viticulture than agriculture, in my opinion.
I won’t sing the praises of this school, but there’s a somewhat timeless quality to it. We’re slightly surrounded by vineyards, with a small château right next door. It’s a cozy little haven, far removed from what one might imagine of a typical high school, and it’s nice to continue my studies in such a setting.
I earned a BEPA (Certificate of Agricultural Vocational Studies) with a specialization in viticulture! It might not mean much to everyone, but it warms my heart. It’s all we need when you’re not the child of a winemaker.
Professional Baccalaureate in CGEV (Management and Operation of a Vineyard)
chniques both mechanically and manually. My internships take place near Montlouis-sur-Loire, at a small biodynamic estate (which allows me to discover a different vision of the land).
Vinification, with alcoholic fermentation, enzymes, must, alcohol, and organoleptic flavors… all these scientific and abstract terms fascinate me as well. I really enjoy understanding the mechanisms that explain why wine develops such different aromas. It’s a rich, very rich field.
I obtained my Professional Baccalaureate in CGEV (Management and Operation of a Vineyard) with a slight mention, so it’s time to choose what comes next! I’m off to Bordeaux with two friends from my class.
Higher Technical Certificate in Sales and Marketing with a Specialization in Wine & Spirits
I love the land, I love the vines, I love vinification. But what I love above all is wine. I want to dive a little deeper into this world because I enjoy the limitless possibilities it offers. I believe I could continue to engage with the wine world in its entirety if I start selling it.
So, I enroll in a Higher Technical Certificate in Sales and Marketing with a Specialization in Wine & Spirits at the Libourne Montagne school, near Saint-Emilion. Saint-Emilion has a certain allure; it’s known for its world-renowned wines, and it excites my senses.
I manage to get by, just barely. I’m not necessarily very good at the technical subjects; as soon as there are calculations involved, I easily get lost. But I want to keep going, I will keep going, and I am continuing!
I complete my internships at a Château in the AOP Lalande de Pomerol, Pomerol, and Montagne Saint-Emilion. It’s there that I learn the ins and outs of selling. But I won’t hide it; it’s a bit tedious: prospecting to sell, communicating to sell, sell, sell, sell…
Far from my love for wine and the simplicity of enjoying things, I feel a bit lost. I lose the essence of things and feel somewhat adrift. Even though I’m tasting some incredible wines, and that’s just, simply, thrilling—amazing.
I earned my Higher Technical Certificate in Sales and Marketing with a Specialization in Wine & Spirits ! This one wasn’t easy; I had to put in a lot of hard work to achieve it !
We’re going to take some time for reflection
My friends and I just finished a pretty challenging Higher Technical Certificate program. We need to take a breather. And what better place to do that than New Zealand? (It took some courage to go for it!) We worked for several months to finance this project, and here we are at last.
This isn’t a travel blog, so I’ll stick to the essentials: we did some grape harvesting, tasted local wines and beers, and visited a few estates. It’s refreshing to step over to the other side of the fence, the side of enjoyment, where you simply take the time to taste and connect with the locals.
I return from New Zealand with two desires: wine and travel. I’m getting ready to finance a departure to another country, but then Covid hits and cuts the rug out from under me. All I have left is wine.
Franck Thomas Training in Brittany !
I want to return to work in the wine world. I want to sell it, but not just in one way; I want to explore all its facets. I love wine, its production, its land, its techniques. To me, it’s an art to produce such different wines that still share many similarities.
Tasting wine is always a delightful experience. You realize just how infinite its universe is. I must have tasted over a thousand bottles of wine, and none has ever been the same. You can find similarities, but every wine is unique.
That’s what I love about wine: I’m not looking for intoxication, but rather the discovery of new flavors. So, I decide to go to wine shops to drop off my resumes. This job appeals to me much more than that of a sales representative because it allows for close collaboration with vineyards and the exploration of an infinite universe.
Unfortunately, Brittany only recognizes certified sommelier training programs. So, I dive in! I enroll in a Sommelier and Wine Merchant training program, Gastronomy Ambassador – Franck Thomas Training at the CFA des 3B in Vitré.
What a joy to reconnect with the world of wine! Everything is fantastic in this program: the classes, selling to individuals, discovering new bottles, and tasting new flavors. This time, I know which side of the fence I want to be on.
The support is excellent, from the company to the school. I finally find my place. I taste sensational things, share moments, stories, and glasses. From sharing to sipping, everything is perfect. I’m also honing my skills in food and wine pairings, an endless field where you always discover new surprises.
I earned my diploma! I am now a Sommelier and Wine Merchant with a distinction of Good, just half a point away from Very Good. Thank you, Franck Thomas and the CFA des 3B in Vitré!
And now ?
I have worked in wine cellars and explored the world of wine. I now wish to share my passion with those who want to understand it better. I hope to help you gain a clearer perspective. I will continue to refine my knowledge and share what I know for as long as possible, and as long as wine exists on Earth.
So, here it is, very humbly: Howchoosewine.com. A website I write in my free time to share my passion with anyone who is willing to read. Thank you for taking the time to read this introduction. I sincerely hope to be helpful in enhancing your wine experience. It’s important to me!