Sommelier, a job, a passion and a pleasure to share

An amazing story...

The future of Aristide Spies, born in Arlon in the south of Belgium, near Luxemburg, was not really in the offing of a wine job.

However, a new passion was born, when Aristide, at 12, went on family holiday to Perigord (France).  Aristide was appealed by the multi-facets of the wine world.

At this time, that was not only the wine tasting that enthralled Aristide, but also the meetings with those winemakers more and more captivating to hear, the visit of the vineyard, those idyllic landscapes, the magic of the lands, the fermentations and the wine-making process.

As soon as he was back in Belgium, he registered in a tasting course and then in a sommelier course at the same time as his Secondary School.

Conscious of the importance of having some cooking basis to practise the sommelier job and to find the good wine for the gastronomic harmony, he also followed a cooking training.

At the age of 17, graduated from the Secondary School, Aristide, avid of adventures and new experiments, took off for Australia for an exchange student year (Rotary Youth Exchange Student).

It was an unrepeatable experience, a year full of discoveries thanks to formidable host families in a country where dynamism and life quality were perfectly in harmony.

Back to Belgium, he was employed in the prestigious restaurant « Les Forges du Pont d’Oye » (1 Michelin star) in Habay-la-Neuve, the Thiry family’s property.

He quickly became Pascal Carré’s assistant, Best Sommelier of Belgium in 1992, 1996 and 1997. In this high place of the Belgian gastronomy, and surrounded by professionals, Aristide learned, applied himself and evolved.

Supported by his closes, by Pascal Carré and by the Thiry family, Aristide improved his knowledge to better fulfil the customer expectations and to feed his passion.

In 2006, after two years of study and personal research held together with his job at “Les Forges du Pont d’Oye”, Aristide graduated Master Sommelier of French Wines and Spirits  (SOPEXA).

Fascinated by discoveries and by the authenticity of the different terroirs from France or elsewhere, Aristide multiplied the escapades in the vineyard. The tasting and the people meetings gave him much more emotions and motivations to share his impressions harvest “at the source” with customers of the restaurant and with tasting lovers.

He attends the English training in the WSET school (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) - London, from where he graduates the « Advanced Certificate » finishing his “Diploma” that is recognized at an international level.

Always eager to discover and learn more, Aristide registered in the Best Sommelier of Belgium national contest, a must for his profession, and a real challenge !

For that purpose, he buried himself in his books and wine atlas and he continuously tasted wines and spirits from the whole world.

This competition, organised by the famous Champagne House “Ruinart” in association with “The Belgian Sommeliers Guild”, took place on 14th October 2007 in Brussels. After several theoretical and practical tests, the panel awarded the first place to Aristide.

Three weeks later, on 5th November,  Aristide took place to the second prestigious competition organised by the Gastronomic Club Prosper Montagné, in Bruges - Belgium, at the end of which he won the title of First Sommelier of Belgium. 

That was an outstanding performance in the belgian sommellerie history as he became the second sommelier of the Kingdom to have won both trophies in the same year.

That was a good reward for such a young passionate sommelier. «Those rewards are not the end, but just a gratitude of my colleagues for my competences on the subject and that confirms that I am in the good direction, this is a very good support for the future » he said.

After some preparatory travels (Chile, Greece, Italy, Switzerland,…) Aristide flies away to Sofia (Bulgaria) in order to represent his country at the European Sommelier Championship (May 2008). There he faces 30 candidates coming each one from a country of the European continent. After a successful quarterfinal, its course stops in semi-final, i.e. among the 10 Best Sommelier of Europe.

In the same time, he creates the surprise by gaining the contest of the wines of Alsace in front of the Best Sommelier of Europe 2008, Mr. Isa Bal.

Belgian and proud to be, he is inevitably amateur of the Bordeaux wines. It is thus with joy that he is established, in June 2008, in the famous brotherhood of Jurade de Saint Emilion as “Bourgeois and Gentleman of the town of Saint-Emilion”. He can thus share his pleasure with a good amount of owners present at the time of this chapter of the Jurade. A beautiful moment of folklore and tradition lived within a framework out of time, in a medieval city with an overflowing charm…

Then comes the meeting with the Chef Yves Radelet, owner of the eponymous restaurant in Luxemburg and which marks a new step on Aristide way. This Chef offers to his customers an original and modern cuisine. Aristide likes very much this pure and inventive style. Quickly there he matches dishes and advices wines from all over the world for the customer best pleasure.

(Restaurant Yves Radelet : 17/20 Gault-Millaut, Young Chef of the Year 2006 Gault-Millaut,  Chef of the Year 2008 Gault-Millaut, Membre Euro-Toques)

In January 2009, Aristide leaves for a second expedition in southern America. He visits many Chilean fields during two weeks, in order to study the nuances between the soils, in search of the best cuvées, accompanied by Louis Havaux and Hervé Lalau, both well-known journalists in Belgium. At the end of this travel, he publishes its notes and comments and becomes member of the International Federation of the Journalists and Writers of Wine (FIJEV)….

In the spring 2009, the international contest “World Selections Canada” which rewards for the wines of quality, asked Aristide to be member of his Jury. He thus spends a week in Quebec accompanied by many experts in order to classify the best production of vine and apple tree.

During the summer, he takes part in about fifty culinary radio broadcasts on line for the RTBF. He suggests how to match food and wines as well as possible.

In December 2009, Aristide is selected to represent his country at  the World Sommelier Contest in April 2010, in Santiago of Chile.

Still a few weeks to finish his preparation for this great event of the world sommellerie. He is very motivated, just like his family circle, his wife and his two children who support him.

In association with «La Cave du Sommelier », Aristide, unfailing when speaking about wine, always shares with the same enthusiasm his gustative and olfactory pleasures whether during  his job in the restaurant, during a professional or private tasting night, during tasting initiation or during travels in the vineyard.

PC