Text | WBO Xiao Jing
Getting to know Zhao Fengyi was at the "Who is the Perfect Match" - Chinese wine and Chinese cuisine matching experience activity co-sponsored by WBO Wine Business Observation and Zhang Yu, we went from Shanghai to Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province to Putian, Fujian Province, to offer advice on the combination of Chinese wine and Chinese cuisine.
Yesterday, the Institute of Masters of Wine announced that Fongyee Walker had been awarded the title of Master of Wine (MW) through a defense.
Zhao Fengyi became the first wine master in Chinese mainland, and we are truly happy and proud of her.
Zhao Fengyi's mother is Chinese; Zhao Fengyi's wine education career has always been in China; her husband also works in China and is also studying wine masters; Zhao Fengyi's Chinese vocabulary is richer than many Chinese. Although Zhao Fengyi holds British and Canadian passports, in my opinion, she is China's first world wine master.
A master of simplicity and spontaneity
In the "Who is the Perfect Match" event department, Zhao Fengyi loved to talk to guests and students about her family.
"I'm of mixed race, my mom is Chinese, my dad is British, my mom's Western food is not good at all, but his Chinese food is very good, he can cook Northeast Chinese food, he can cook Cantonese food, my dad doesn't like to eat the Western food she makes." My dad is British, he has been drinking wine since he was 15 years old and used to drink wine every day, so when I was very young, I naturally saw that it was wine to accompany Chinese food. Zhao Fengyi said.
She said that after moving to China, she found that many Chinese believe that wine should be paired with Western food, which is the "rule".
(Zhao Fengyi and her husband Edward)
"I was taken aback, I said we all use wine in the UK with dumplings, fried sauce noodles, and the wine we buy is also cheap, what rule do you say this is?" The most important rule is that your favorite dish is paired with your favorite wine, and that's what matters most. ”
"Wine is something I can't study all my life, she's too advanced. But first, don't shut consumers out, let them simply fall in love with wine. Zhao Fengyi said in a private chat.
To a certain extent, Master Zhao Fengyi had a greater mind and realm.
Never embarrass the students
In the student circle, Teacher Zhao Fengyi is even more well-known.
A student of Zhao Fengyi said that in the first half of 2016, Zhao Fengyi's teacher Long Feng wine was ready to open a WSET-3 class in Chengdu, enrolling 12 students and filling up in less than an hour. Many students come to visit, and this speed is also a miracle in the WSET training circle.
Teacher Zhao Fengyi has many invitations to various activities and inspections, and her work schedule has been scheduled until 2017, but she cannot accept invitations on weekends.
"The weekend is my time with the students, WSET-4 students are looking forward to getting together, I can't live up to the expectations of the students." Zhao Fengyi said that from Monday to Sunday, there may not be a day to rest, but she feels very happy.
When Zhao Fengyi faced students, she was always very kind. When students answer questions, no matter what answers are gained, Zhao Fengyi will encourage and praise students, and then throw out their own views and reasons to support their views, so that students can take the initiative to think and understand each problem; even if some students are not on the point at all, she will try not to embarrass students through self-blackening.
"Sometimes, even though you can sometimes see that Zhao Fengyi is very haggard, she always smiles and brings sunshine to her students." One student said this about her.
Promising Yao Ming to reject shark fin, she kept her promise
Zhao Fengyi still had a life when she was angry.
At a dinner party in Putian, Fujian Province, the local restaurant arranged shark fin soup, and Zhao Fengyi found out with a sullen face and muttered to herself: "How can you eat shark fin soup?" She firmly refused the dish and asked the waiter to remove it on the spot.
Afterwards, she said: "I promised Yao Ming to reject shark fin soup together; in addition, the act of obtaining shark fin soup was too cruel for me to bear." ”
If she violates her bottom line, the spontaneous Zhao Fengyi is also very real.
As a British, Zhao Fengyi has put her career in China, and she is fully committed to researching and understanding Chinese wine consumers.
"The problem for Westerners is that they think That China is simple, but it is actually wrong, and the customs and tastes of every place in China are different and complicated. The promotion of wine can not blindly use the Western set of play, but must first respect Chinese customs and culture. Zhao Fengyi said.
Zhao Fengyi, a late master, a "different" master. Becoming China's first world wine master, she deserves it.