Olivier Thiénot, the French wine educator regarded internationally as one of the foremost ambassadors of French wine culture, is the founder of École du Vin de France. Interestingly, the 62-year-old did not begin his professional life in vineyards or cellars, but in courtrooms. “I soon realised that life was too short to be spent on legal matters,” he told t2 with a smile.
Trained as a lawyer, Thiénot switched careers after discovering a passion for wine. He enrolled in a foundation course at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust in London before continuing his studies at the Université du Vin in southern France.
In 2003, he founded École du Vin de France, initially offering wine appreciation programmes for enthusiasts before expanding into professional training. “Now we are the leading wine school in Paris,” he said.
The school's introductory appreciation course lasts a day. “In the morning, participants learn how to taste wine and in the afternoon they learn about wine quality. We now offer two-hour courses dedicated to specific wines such as Champagne, while our longest programme runs for five days. We are also considering introducing a 28-day sommelier programme because of growing demand from hospitality institutes,” he said.
Asked whether wine preferences changed with the seasons, Thiénot said that in France lighter wines are generally favoured during warmer months. “In summer, we tend to choose wines with less body, such as white wines or rosés. In winter, we move towards red wines or fuller-bodied wines,” he said.
But he was quick to add that the distinction was far from absolute. “Wine is not merely a seasonal product. It is harvested in September in the Northern Hemisphere and in February in the Southern Hemisphere,” he pointed out.
The sommelier is equally sceptical of the popular rule that red wine should accompany red meat and white wine should be paired with white meat. “It depends on where you are,” he said. “In France, meat is more commonly served with red wine. If you have a white meat like chicken, you might choose a medium-bodied wine such as Pinot Noir. If you have a richer meat, then you would choose a wine with more body, such as a Bordeaux or a Cabernet Sauvignon.”
For Thiénot, pairing wine by flavour can often be unnecessarily complicated. “A pairing based on flavour is too complicated for the consumer. Pairing by weight is much easier,” he said, reaching for a sporting analogy. “Choose the pair as you would match contestants in a boxing ring.”