Jean-Vincent Ridon: Serving lessons (and wine)

Jean-Vincent Ridon has worn many hats in the wine world – from winemaker and wine broker to equipment supplier and educator. With 50 harvests across four continents under his belt, he’s gained international recognition, including for his award-winning book, Passion for Pairing. More recently, education has become his first love, especially when it comes to training young people in Africa.

“I started as a sommelier at my family restaurant and slowly became a winemaker in France,” he says. “I moved to South Africa in 1996 – at a time when the industry had to be rebuilt. I realised we had many great winemakers and chefs, but the wine service was always lacking. So I decided to focus on what our country needed: wine education and service training.”

Through initiatives such as the Sommeliers Academy, which he founded in 2016, he has trained aspiring sommeliers, cellar workers, university students and hospitality teams. To support the booming wine tourism industry, he and his team work directly with tasting rooms and restaurants, equipping staff with the knowledge and confidence to present South African wine to the world.

Click HERE to read the full article.