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Learning about the world of wine in Jakarta
Sense of taste: There are three important parts in wine tasting, and they involve the sensesâsight, smell and taste
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Sense of taste: There are three important parts in wine tasting, and they involve the senses'sight, smell and taste.
'Wine is a wise drink,' according to Gevin Indra. 'There's no good or bad wine. Its personality let's you know which wine suits you best,' the training and systems development manager of the Innovative Hospitality Solutions (IHS) wine school said.
However, to understand a wine's characteristics requires deep observation, starting from its creation to how it should be served.
'We have seen a growing demand for wine here in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the information is still limited,' Gevin said, adding that hospitality schools typically offered wine sessions, although none too detailed.
According to the US Foreign Agricultural Service, the consumption of wine in Indonesia has increased by 25 percent a year over the past five years, which it attributed to the rapid expansion of four- and five-star hotels, as well as the growth in upscale restaurants and bars.
Culinary expert William Wongso, a former president of Jakarta International Food and Wine Society, previously said that many Indonesians would be willing to spend more than Rp 20 million (US$2,000) for a single liter of high-end French wine.
Understanding this, the IHS, which focuses on wine exploration, gives enthusiasts and professionals an opportunity to delve deeper into the world of wine.
'As the start, we teach our students how to pronounce the label, like how we pronounce 'merlot' or 'chateau', because there are so many wine labels from around the world, Gevin said.
The school also instructs students about how wine is classified, the beginning of wine making ' and even the historical role wine has played in societies around the world.
But it's not all about theory. The most important thing for students is to get to know the personality of a wine through tasting.
'There are three most important parts in wine tasting, and they involve the senses'sight, smell and taste,' said Gevin, who started to learn about wine in Switzerland in 2004.
Sight is defined as the color of the wine, where one wine can be slightly darker than another, whereas smell refers to a wine's bouquet, which can be fruity or even evoke flowers.
'And then, finally, we taste it, Gevin said. 'During the tasting, we should take note of the level of sweetness, acidity and the alcohol in the wine.'
The smells and tastes of wine are very diverse from one country to another.
'A wine made in Spain will taste different from a bottle of the same grape variety made in Argentina or in another country,' he said. 'And we'll explain the difference in the class.'
Climate also contributes to the different personalities that wines have. 'That keeps changing from year to year, and that what makes learning about wine always interesting,' Gevin said.
While a complete course in wine at HIS requires 14 sessions, those wanting to learn just a thing or two about wine can take a tailor-made short course.
The courses are held in a building near the Sudirman Central Business District (SCBD) in South Jakarta that was specifically designed for students to get the feeling of a winery, complete with a mini-vineyard and a wine-tasting area with a spittoon.
The students are include workers in hotels, cafes or restaurants that aim to have trained wine waiters and sommeliers, among others.
'Some people in the class work in marketing, and they come here because they need to understand about wine to socialize, as that is part of their job. But we also have wine enthusiasts who also sign up here,' Gevin said.
At the end of the course, students take a test. Some are also required to do on-the-job training for two weeks.
Gevin said that although the IHS was still only two months old, they had been planning to cooperate with an international wine school such as the Wine and Spirit Education Trust from London for certification in line with increasing demand from local colleges.
'Indonesia is actually a very good place to learn about wine. The limit of imported wine brands here has allowed us to learn it step by step, so we can focus. But the brands that come here are the selected ones,' he said.
' Photos by Chris O'Connor
For more information visit innovativehospitalitysolutions.biz.
