Earlier this month, the Tourism Fund treated some of the LTA members’ staff to training on basic wine knowledge.Tourism Fund facilitated the training as part of their service delivery to tourism stakeholders.
Tourism Fund came into operation on 1st September 2012. Their mandate is to mobilize resources to finance the development of the tourism industry in Kenya.
Tourism Fund representatives mentioned they felt a gap in serving of wine in our landscape. From the facilities they had experienced, they felt their servers did not have adequate knowledge of the various types of wine, wine tasting, the appropriate glassware to be used, and how to pair this wine with different food.
On glassware, participants were educated on the composition of a wine glass. The base gives the glass its stability. The stem provides something to hold on to without raising the temperature of the wine within. The stem also prevents fingerprints from getting onto the bowl of the glass. The bowl allows one to swirl the wine comfortably without spilling the wine, and the last part is the rim.
Members were also shown a few sample wine glasses and instructed on what wine glass they should use to serve the different types of wine. A common feature is that red wine glasses are relatively large with a large opening. On the other hand, white wine glasses have a distinct U-shape and have a relatively smaller bowl.
Participants sample the different types of wine during the session. Photo by John Kiongo
Participants also learnt about the key differences between white and red wine. Participants learnt that red wines are primarily made with red grapes, and white wines are made with white grapes. Additionally, participants learnt the different compositions of these types of wine and the alcohol percentage for these types of wines.
Members were also instructed on the steps taken when tasting wine, and these include.
- Looking- which is done to check the wine colour.
- Smell- From the aromas of the wine, one can detect some of the ingredients used in the wine-making process and how the wine storage method. Common scents would include smelling fruits, yeast, woody scents, et cetera.
- Taste- Members were instructed on how to taste the wine. Tasting helps in establishing whether the wine is perfect for your taste buds.
The session was interactive, and participants are expected to have gained a lot from the session.
We hope that this will be the first of many stakeholder engagements not only from the Tourism Fund but also from other partners.
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