New Year chat with wine expert Nguyen Tien Thinh

(Baonghean) - Many Nghe people have shared and are proud of him after his achievements in a completely new field that is somewhat unfamiliar to the people of the countryside. So, what made Nguyen Tien Thinh, a young man from the coastal region, who specializes in "tasting and smelling" fish sauce, become an "expert in tasting and smelling wine"?

Nguyen Tien Thinh (also known as Alex Thinh) is a wine expert and Training Director of Da Loc Wine Import Company. He was born in 1978, in Quynh Di, Hoang Mai, Nghe An. Graduated from the University of Foreign Languages, Faculty of French. Thinh has 8 years of experience (mainly in charge of food and beverage) at 5-star hotels in Hanoi, Vietnam (Sofitel Metropole, Hilton Hanoi Opera and Sofitel Plaza) from 2002-2010; 4 years of experience at a 5-star hotel in Macau (2011-2014).

Nguyen Tien Thinh (4th from left) won third prize at the "Best Sommelier in Southeast Asia" competition.

Notably, the son from the coastal hometown of Quynh Di, Quynh Luu won first prize in the "Best Vietnamese Sommelier Competition 2015"; third prize in the "Best Southeast Asia + Taiwan's Sommelier Competition in 2015" in Bangkok, Thailand.

The road to...wine

PV:Hello Mr. Thinh, first of all, congratulations on your success in the past year. Many Nghe people have shared and are proud of you after stepping onto the award stage in Thailand last December in a completely new field that is somewhat unfamiliar to the people of the countryside. I would like to ask you, curiously, what made you, a guy from the coastal region, specializing in "tasting and smelling" fish sauce, become a "wine tasting and smelling expert"?

Nguyen Tien Thinh (laughing):Yes, I am a child of the fish sauce village. Since childhood, I have been accustomed to “tasting and smelling” fish sauce like any child from Quynh Di. My family was very poor. To the point that there were many days when we went hungry. I was the eldest child in the family, doing any job to help my parents. Many days, while collecting firewood and sitting on the ox cart, I dreamed of becoming a tour guide in the midst of my hunger. At that time, I liked the tour guide profession, just because I watched TV and saw tour guides traveling a lot, meeting many people, many cultural regions, and introducing their hometown to many others.

Graduated from the Faculty of French, Hanoi University of Foreign Languages, but fate brought Tien Thinh to become a "wine sniffer" expert. In the photo: Tien Thinh (left) and colleagues with bottles of French wine.

In 6th grade, a cousin who studied at the University of Foreign Languages ​​came back to her hometown during the summer and taught some kids, including me, French. I found myself starting to love this subject, love French culture and as you know, I passed the entrance exam to the University of Foreign Languages, French Department. After graduating, looking at my friends, learning about my hometown, I realized that it would be difficult for me to find a job with a major in French, so I tried to stay in Hanoi, accepting any job so that I wouldn't have to ask my parents for money. Working for a beer house, delivering goods to businesses..., putting my university degree aside with regret, thinking that I had such a connection with French. But who would have thought that one day, that connection would still be there, bringing me unexpected "gifts".

It started with applying for jobs at big hotels in Hanoi, being trained in culinary arts, learning about wine, and because I was hard-working, diligent, and had a good command of French, I was chosen to take a trip to France. That trip was a turning point for me, when I stood on the vineyards, the famous wine cellars... Returning home, one thing urged me, why can people smell wine and distinguish the type of wine, the alcohol content, and enjoy it so artistically, while I only find it "astringent" (red wine) or "sour" (white wine)? I started to learn about and... fall in love with wine from then on, around 2008.

PV:Do you remember how old you were when you took your first sip of alcohol? And how do you taste them now, compared to being an... "expert"? Do you often get... drunk?

Nguyen Tien Thinh: I first drank alcohol in 10th grade, I think, at a class party, when we were studying at Quynh Luu 2 High School. It was “banana leaf cork” wine! It was also to show that I was like many other impulsive young people (laughs). Now, tasting wine is of course done in a different mindset, that of a professional, even... passionate about the profession. Now it is to enjoy, to understand, to let your imagination run wild through their flavors: this is the smell of wood, lemon blossom, the smell of smoke...

Mr. Nguyen Tien Thinh next to the vineyard where raw materials are used to make wine.

In the world, the profession of “wine smelling” is highly respected. That is why there are associations, clubs, and professional federations... They train experts in the field of wine smelling. For example, in Japan, it has only been established for about 10 years but there are nearly 10,000 experts in this field. In Vietnam, this is a new field, with only about 20 people, trained mainly in Europe.

Many people think that they will probably get drunk a lot. In fact, "experts" like us know when to stop drinking.

Success from learning and passion

PV:Entering a new field and achieving success is not easy. Can you share about your "career" and advice for young people starting a new career?

Nguyen Tien Thinh:After many ups and downs, experiences and what life has taught me, I understand that learning and passion will be the path that leads people to success. Like me, at first, I was just a zero in wine. I just drank it to find it "sour" or "astringent". Then, learning about it, I found it fascinating. I found it a great culinary art. There is a cultural depth there that makes me unable to stop. It captivates me, not only because I conquered and understood it, but also because it contains endless discoveries. Unlike many other drinks, wine has its own "class", containing sophistication and emotion. Conquering it is not easy, so very few people pursue it, in Vietnam, up to now.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Thinh (right) and the awards for best French wine waiter.

I feel really lucky to have found my passion, and love my job. I love this wine serving job, to put it more beautifully, it is the job of “ambassador - bridge from wine to customers”. Imagine, you and I, next to a bottle of wine. You sip it just to drink as an appetizer, thinking it is good for digestion, or just to see if it is delicious or not according to your taste. As for me, I start to use all my senses to explore it, its scent touches my tongue, spreads to my sense of smell, I am closing my eyes to see where it comes from, in what year...

PV:That's interesting, Mr. Thinh. Can you give any advice to non-wine connoisseurs like me on choosing, buying and drinking wine?

Nguyen Tien Thinh:For a person who buys wine for drinking or giving as a gift, I always advise: choose according to taste. You don’t need to be too fussy, pay attention to the “art” of drinking wine or use expensive types to show “class”. It’s lame to compare, but you should simply understand taste like this: my parents are in the countryside, when I take them on a trip, for example, to big restaurants with dishes prepared by famous chefs, they will probably still complain that it’s not delicious.

For the elderly, eating rice with eggplant and vegetables is sometimes more "enjoyable". So, whether we need to drink or to be an expert, it is different! A little note for boxed wine, when we buy it, if we don't see the production date or expiration date, we should look at the customs stamp! The newer the better. If it is too old, we should not use it, especially cheap wine. Another note is that white wine should be served in a small-bowl glass, red wine should be served in a large-bowl glass, avoid touching the bowl of the glass with your hand, but should hold it by the stem, and keep the temperature of the wine in the refrigerator...

PV:Thank you!

Thuy Vinh (performed)