Jean-Vincent Ridon has worn many hats in the wine world – from winemaker and wine broker to equipment supplier and educator. With 50 harvests across four continents under his belt, he’s gained international recognition, including for his award-winning book, Passion for Pairing. More recently, education has become his first love, especially when it comes to training young people in Africa.

“I started as a sommelier at my family restaurant and slowly became a winemaker in France,” he says. “I moved to South Africa in 1996 – at a time when the industry had to be rebuilt. I realised we had many great winemakers and chefs, but the wine service was always lacking. So I decided to focus on what our country needed: wine education and service training.”

Through initiatives such as the Sommeliers Academy, which he founded in 2016, he has trained aspiring sommeliers, cellar workers, university students and hospitality teams. To support the booming wine tourism industry, he and his team work directly with tasting rooms and restaurants, equipping staff with the knowledge and confidence to present South African wine to the world.

He also invests his time and energy in the South African Wine Tasting Championship’s Protégé Programme. Through this initiative he has mentored junior winemakers and wine lovers, and exposed them to international competitions and empowered them with new opportunities. “One of our best successes is Heinrich Kulsen, who started as a young winemaker at Distell and is now making wine in the Napa Valley,” he says.

Jean Vincent’s reach extends well beyond South Africa. He’s been active in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Mauritius and even Lebanon, while also building European connections. “Africa is the last frontier for wine tourism and consumption,” he says. “The growing market for South African wine in Kenya, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast and Congo is impressive. But we must train the market, not just send them marketing material. Education is how we prepare our future clients.”

For him, education goes far deeper than acquiring technical skills. “Wine is made to be sold and to sell it you need to tell its story,” he says. “Many in our industry know the chemistry of wine but not enough about the wines of the world, their history or how to connect with clients. That is what we teach.”

His students’ successes are his greatest motivation. “Every day I look on social media and see how far they’ve come – from managing wine lists at five-star establishments to serving South African wine on cruise ships,” he says. “Many of them never had the chance before joining our programme. It makes me feel I changed some lives and that’s the best reward.”

But there are still challenges. Many students arrive with limited literacy and life skills, making even basic scientific concepts difficult to explain. But Jean Vincent believes the answer lies in perseverance, inclusivity and mentorship. “We need to remove the glass ceiling for motivated youth so they can have the same opportunities I was given when I arrived in South Africa.”

Having trained thousands of students, Jean-Vincent proves that education is not just an add-on to the wine industry, but its foundation for the future. Looking ahead, he’s optimistic. There’s a growing demand for staff training from luxury resorts, wine producers and new African markets that all want their teams and clients to better understand and appreciate wine.

“If you invest more in marketing than in education, you’ll eventually be left with no clients or clients with unrealistic expectations you can’t meet,” he says. “Education is the best investment for vineyard workers, winemakers, cellar doors, distributors and clients.”

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