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Women with a passion for wine

Sommeliers Pascaline Lepeltier and Melissa Mwende tell Kim Chakanetsa about looking after their taste buds, picking wine for celebrations and the skills needed in their work.

Kim Chakanetsa talks to a multi-award winning wine expert from France and a young sommelier from Kenya who was part of the first all-female team to take part in the World Wine Blind Tasting Championships 2022.

Pascaline Lepeltier was studying for a PhD in Philosophy when she switched to work in a restaurant and pursue her interest in wine. She went on to become the only woman to have been named 鈥淯n des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France - Sommellerie鈥, and also in 2018, Best French Sommelier. She has a passion for championing organic, natural and biodynamic wines and is beverage director at the New York restaurant Chambers.

Melissa Mwende is a Kenyan born and raised sommelier and wine educator. After working as a wine ambassador for a brand in South Africa she opened a small wine shop outside Nairobi and works as a wine consultant. She wants people to learn about fantastic wines produced across the African continent.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Pascaline Lepeltier, credit Cedric Angeles. (R) Melissa Mwende, courtesy Melissa Mwende.)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sat 31 Dec 2022 08:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Boxing Day 2022 04:32GMT
  • Boxing Day 2022 05:32GMT
  • Boxing Day 2022 11:32GMT
  • Boxing Day 2022 21:32GMT
  • Boxing Day 2022 23:32GMT
  • Sat 31 Dec 2022 08:32GMT

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