Ayseli had a passion for wine and gastronomy for as long as she could remember. After working a year as an assistant brand manager at a wine brand, she wanted to learn and discover more so made the decision to study the Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management programme at Le Cordon Bleu London.
Since graduating from our institute, she worked as a freelance wine specialist and blogger. Her projects include becoming Riedel’s Ambassador, translating WineFolly Book into Turkish, hosting wine tasting events in London. Ayseli has also been involved in creating wine menus for several restaurants and hotels.
Why did you choose to enrol for Le Cordon Bleu London’s Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management?
At the time, I had completed WSET Level 3 in Wines and was looking for a more practical class where I could learn the connection between wine and food.
What was your biggest learning curve throughout the course?
Tasting white wines. Before coming here, I think I only tasted Pinot Grigio, Sancerre and Chablis. The rest was totally unknown. I thought whites are mostly heavily oaked and unpleasant to drink.
Did the course improve your confidence when talking to winemakers and other wine professionals?
Yes, I’ve been able to express myself well. Actually, I’ve noticed that the more I grew confident the more I became silent because I realized a lot of people talk for the sake of impressing others. Even the people who claim they know the best.
What has been your main highlight of the course/ best memory?
Highlight of the course is probably getting used to the word it depends and after embracing this as a philosophy. Also wine and food matching classes were pretty cool.
The programme changed the way I see wine, now I see it as a form of art.
During your course, did you meet a wine professional that inspired you?
My teacher Matthieu Longuère MS and lecturer Nitin Radhakrishnan inspired me because both of them were following their passion. The two of them were committed to give the best possible education while having fun.
Any pieces of advice that you would like to pass on to future or perspective students?
Don’t underestimate the workload! Honestly, I thought I would have so much free time and wouldn’t need to study as much since the topic was something of my genuine interest, it turns out I was wrong!
How long after completing the Diploma did you secure your job?
I chose a difficult route to employment as I didn’t want to work under one company it took me almost a year for recognition.
Do you think the knowledge you gained from the Diploma in Wine, Gastronomy and Management helps you in your day-to-day role?
The programme changed the way I see wine, now I see it as a form of art. Matthieu helped me to achieve this philosophy and encouraged me to not memorize facts that I will not need. Also thanks to Nitin, I am slightly becoming a gin geek!
