David Biraud has been blindfolded, cross-examined and tested in his quest to reach the top of his profession and recognized as France's best wine waiter.
There is not much Biraud, who manages one of Paris's largest wine cellars at the luxurious Hotel de Crillon, does not know about wine. At 29, he has become one of the youngest ever winners of the French wine industry's toughest competition.
In a country where every wine drinker is an amateur connoisseur, beating 300 other specialists to the prestigious title of best "sommelier" is not just a personal coup -- it also carries a certain responsibility.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"In many ways, I am now a spokesman for the French wine industry, and working in such a well-known Paris hotel, I feel a duty to introduce clients to the wealth of French wines," Biraud said in his office under one of the hotel's marble staircases.
Although 95 percent of the 100,000 bottles stashed in the Crillon's cellar come from French vineyards, mostly white and red wines from the Burgundy region and reds from the Rhone valley, Biraud is not immune to the growing popularity of wines from New World countries like Australia and South Africa.
"We should not be blind to the fact that other countries are now also producing excellent wines. I enjoy wines from around the world. [French winegrowers] must be prepared to evolve and develop our wines, after having rested a bit on our laurels."
Statistics show that New World wine producers have cut into France's foreign sales thanks to clever branding and large-scale production, and Biraud's warning is echoed by many in the French industry as it wakes up to the crisis on its hands.
So while foreign vintages are on the wine list at the Crillon, where Biraud heads a team of four wine waiters, those dining at its lavish banquets or at its gourmet restaurant are encouraged to try the very best of French wine.
Encouraging guests, rather than bullying or patronising them, is a delicate but important part of Biraud's job. He smiles indulgently at the description of his profession as that of a glorified waiter.
"It is true we are in the restaurant helping clients choose wines to accompany their meal and serving them, but it is the role of an adviser, of someone who tries to give people a taste for the passion of wine," he said.
"It requires diplomacy, tact and a touch of psychology."
Having discovered his own passion for wine while walking around the stunning vineyards and castles of France's southwestern Bordeaux region as a catering student, Biraud believes wine is all about maximising pleasure.
"Drinking wine above all else should be a pleasure. One shouldn't ruin that with hard and fast rules," said Biraud, who attends diners at the Crillon's Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, which boasts two Michelin stars, almost every lunch and supper.
"If someone loves fulsome red wine and wants to drink it with a light fish dish, I am not going to stop them. But if on the other hand I have the feeling they are unsure what to drink, I might suggest a wine that would marry well with the dish."
Biraud, whose family in western France has no links to the wine industry, has had his knowledge of wines tested to the full by expert examiners.
One of the challenges involved picking out mistakes on a wine list, such as misspellings of obscure vineyards' names or incorrect vintage years. He also had to identify dozens of wines by their smell and taste alone.
Biraud will hold the title of France's top sommelier for two years, but his next target is to bag the world title, currently also held by a Frenchman.
"I hope to achieve this some day, but much later. I have a lot of work to do before then, a lot to learn," he said.
Technological changes and the appearance of new vineyards mean that Biraud needs to continuously hone his skills with wine tastings and regular visits to producers.
But the wines he most wants to taste still elude him, even though they are among the reds stashed in the Crillon's cellar: a Romanee-Conti 1959 worth 15,250 euros (US$13,280) and an equally rare Mouton Rothschild 1945 at 12,958 euros (US$11,280).
"They are both said to be absolutely exquisite. One day I would love to drink them," Biraud said.
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