Two Decades of Expertise and Over 200,000 Tastings: A Conversation with Alexandre Petit, the Connoisseur of Wine, Spirits, Beer, and Food

Can you share the moment or experience that first sparked your interest in wine and tasting? How did this initial encounter shape your future path in the world of wine, spirits, beer and food?

I began exploring the world of tastings during my internship with the LVMH Group for the Mercier champagne brand, 20 years ago. There, I was responsible for conducting tastings for the visitors concluding their tours, averaging about 1000 visitors per day. I led comparative tastings of 3 champagnes for those who chose the most comprehensive package. This experience ignited my passion for tasting. Surrounded by excellent oenologists, I spent 2 months conducting comparative tastings, enchanting people by analyzing the products not only in terms of taste but also their emotional impact. I learned to appreciate the subtleties of champagne, understanding its components beyond just flavor, but the overall emotion it could evoke.

In the evenings after work, I took the opportunity to visit different winemakers each day in the stunning Champagne region, particularly in the Côte des Blancs. I explored an array of Champagnes including Blanc de Blancs, Premier Cru, Grand Cru, and Blanc de Noirs, experiencing various dosages. Through meeting with winemakers and tasting hundreds of different Champagnes, I began to understand that the world of wine tasting was vast and limitless. Each visit expanded my knowledge and fueled my growing passion for the complexity and diversity of flavors in the world of Champagne.

That was the very beginning of my journey.

You spent significant time learning directly from over 2000 wine, beer, spirits and food producers in Europe. How did these experiences shape your understanding of fine food and beverages and your approach to tasting?
The years spent traveling and visiting more than 2000 producers of wine, beer, spirits, and food directly at their production sites have profoundly shaped my growth. These experiences opened my mind and allowed me to connect the art of tasting with the process of production. Understanding the intricacies of how these products are made, the passion of the producers, and the diverse techniques used across different regions and products has greatly enriched my perspective and expertise in the world of tastings.

The emotions experienced during tasting are often enhanced and partly explained by the emotions conveyed by the producer, the location, the facilities, the agriculture, and so on. Visiting production sites makes it much easier to compare one product with another, or with its neighbors, rather than making distant comparisons where production sites and methods differ. Being on-site allows for a 95% understanding of quality factors — one can never reach 100% — as opposed to having fewer comparison or analysis levers when not on location. Even now, when I taste products remotely in my lab or at exhibitions, I have a stronger frame of reference when I am familiar with the production regions from having visited them physically, as opposed to not having done so.

Physical encounters with producers at their sites, touching and understanding the equipment, and comprehending the agriculture and detailed processes have taught me an immense amount of knowledge. Tasting raw products at different temperatures and stages of maturation, as well as decomposed tastings (by grape variety, etc.), has given me an unparalleled open-mindedness towards tasting. I am deeply grateful to the thousands of producers who have taken time from their schedules to welcome me, sharing their passions and expertise. These experiences have been invaluable in shaping my understanding and appreciation of the intricate world of wine, spirits, beer anf food.

Your work in Asia, particularly with the largest Taiwanese group 7-Eleven and 10 other main distribution brands/import groups to create a ‘products’ quality label, expanded your expertise globally.

How do you adapt yourtasting approach to meet diverse international tastes and cultures?

My experience in Asia has indeed brought new dimensions to my tasting expertise. Participating in numerous professional expos in Taiwan, mainland China, and Hong Kong, I encountered thousands of Asian professional buyers. This broadened my perspective on their tastes and perceptions, which differ significantly from what I was accustomed to in Europe. I learned to select products for Asian end-buyers, catering to varied taste preferences in places like Taiwan and Singapore. However, the core principles of tasting remain the same: simplicity, authenticity, respect for the terroir, minimal added sugars, and utmost finesse, except when sugar is an integral part of the product, in which case the fruit or flavor should be as natural as possible.

Similarly, my various trips to the USA have enabled me to understand local taste preferences. Although my judgment remains consistent, I am able to advise whether or not a product is suitable for an Asian or American importer/distributor based on their specific market. This ability to tailor my recommendations to different cultural and regional tastes is an essential aspect of my expertise, allowing me to bridge the gap between producers and diverse global markets.

Over your 20-year career, you’ve tasted over 200,000 products. How has your philosophy and approach to wine tasting evolved over the years, and what core principles do you hold onto?

What characterizes my tasting results and notes most is the pursuit of absolute fluidity between what the terroir produces and how the producer enhances it without exaggerating certain notes, while optimizing all positive and natural taste notes. I seek pure, exhilarating, natural, and simple emotions, coupled with extreme finesse and a silky universe. I have no prejudices: I do not rate vintages or wines based on their external reputation (from journalists, other experts). My ratings are quite decisive (very positive or very negative), clearly affirming my views.

My judgment is personal, and the goal is to share my insights with consumers in the most transparent and authentic way possible. Whether or not they agree with my opinions is secondary; the main point is that I share my perspective so that they can, in turn, form their own well-informed and decisive opinions. This approach underscores the importance of individual experience in the world of tastings, encouraging consumers to explore and trust their own taste preferences.

Where can enthusiasts and professionals alike find your tasting notes, and how can producers of wine, beer, spirits, and food reach out to have their products rated by you?

I share some of the best ratings on my website, alexandrepetit.com, and producers can request a tasting and rating. Only a selection of the top ratings are shared on my site, but producers are free to share my notes directly with their clients after I have completed the tasting. While it’s impossible to rate every product, given that there are millions, I strive to rate as many as possible each year.

Could you tell us a bit about your recent endeavor, ‘Grand Cru Wine Tasting’? What inspired this project, and what unique experiences can participants expect from it?

Grand Cru Wine Tasting are a physical spaces where customers can purchase and taste some of the world’s finest wines. I created this concept to share my knowledge and discoveries directly with enthusiasts, introducing them to professional tasting. The first space is set to open in Paris in December 2023, with future locations already planned for New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, and London. This venture is about bringing my expertise and the world of exceptional wines closer to people who appreciate them.

Could you provide more details on how enthusiasts can stay informed about the Grand Cru Wine Tasting spaces and your own rating out of 100 points? Are there specific platforms or channels where updates and news about these projects will be shared?
You can follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. I regularly post updates and news about my ventures on these platforms, providing insights into upcoming openings, events, and developments in the world of wine tasting.