How to become a wine critic？

Wine critics should act as a bridge between the winery and consumers, rather than guiding consumers to like a particular taste.

When it comes to wine critics, many wine fans will think of Robert Parker, the American's keen sense of smell and taste for wine, which affects the purchasing decisions of many wine consumers and even affects the price of some wines. And France, a country with great wine culture, has its own wine critic: Michel Bettane.

In Europe, Bettane was the first wine critic to point out the century vintage of Bordeaux in 1982. His judgment was later quoted by Robert Parker in his writings, and became the "golden rule" for experts in wine selection for decades. Compared with the latter, this wine critic who wanders freely between art and literature is more legendary.

Bettane, who studied classical music as a student, had a dream of becoming an orchestra conductor. After graduating from university, Bettane became a French literature teacher. Out of his usual love for wine, he enrolled in a wine tasting course at L'Academie du Vin, a wine school founded by British Steven Spurrier in Paris, in 1977. At that time, it was at the time of the "Paris Judgment" tasting organized by Steven Spurrier. the second year.

With the help of Steven Spurrier, Bettane gradually applied his comprehension in music and literature to wine tasting. Soon, he became a lecturer in this wine academy with his extraordinary appreciation and knowledge of terroir. In the following years, Bettane began to write wine reviews for Wine Review Magazine (RVF), which was in a downturn. With the efforts of him and Thierry Desseauve, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, "Wine Review Magazine" has once again become an authoritative publication in the wine industry. In 2004, he and Desseauve left the magazine and co-founded the famous "Bettane & Desseauve French Wine Guide" published annually.

A group of Beer foams

Today, Bettane, as the most authoritative wine critic in France, is respected by major wineries and consumers, but he has always maintained a low-key style and never regarded himself as a “big name” in wine critics. He has publicly stated that wine critics should act as a bridge between wineries and consumers, rather than guiding consumers to like a particular taste. "Everyone has their own favorite taste. For me, each wine region has my favorite wine. On the right bank of Bordeaux is Haut Brion winery, in the village of Vosne Romanée it is Leroy, and in the village of Meursault it is relatively The lesser-known Olivier Leflaive winery."

Speaking of music, the wine critic's eyes lit up: "Every musical note has its own characteristics, either majestic, soft, strong or soothing. The impression of these notes is transformed into words and engraved in my mind. Here, when tasting wine, the literal description of wine made me associate it with music. "Wine, classical music and French writer Montaigne’s literary works have become an indispensable part of Bettane’s life. , He also made a guest appearance on the music program of French Radio Classique, and talked about classical music with the host.

For China, Bettane expressed great interest. In November, the Grand Tasting organized by him was held in Hong Kong for the third time. Bettane, who likes Chinese food privately, believes that, in a general sense, white wine is suitable for lighter Cantonese cuisine, while Sichuan cuisine, which uses more peppers, can only be held down by spirits such as whiskey or cognac. Regarding the enthusiasm of Chinese people for Lafite in recent years, Bettane said that while Lafite has increased its marketing efforts in Asia, it has never given up on the pursuit of high quality. It is not wrong for the Chinese to chase Lafite out of brand effect: "Just For example, the French don't know much about whiskey, but when it comes to whiskey, everyone knows Chivas Regal. This is the role of the brand. If the Chinese learn more about wine, they will naturally get rid of their worship of Lafite.

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