Ep. 631 Jamie (JiYing) Feng | Voices

Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. I'm Rebecca Lawrence, and this is voices. In this set of interviews, I will be focusing on issues of inclusion diversity and allyship through intimate conversations with wine industry professionals from all over the globe. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating to Italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps us cover equipment, production and publication costs, and remember to subscribe and rate our show wherever you tune in. Before the show, here's the shout out to our new sponsor Fairoline. Feddewine has been the largest warranty of Italy since nineteen twenty. They have generously supplied us with our new t shirt. Would you like one? Just two fifty euros and it's all yours. Plus, we'll throw in our new book jumbo shrimp kai international grape varieties in Italy. For more info, go to Italian wine podcast dot com and click donate or check out Italian wine podcast on Instagram. Welcome to the Italian wine podcast. This is voices with me Rebecca Lawrence. And this week, I'm joined by GING Jamie Fang. Welcome to the podcast, Jerry. How are you doing? Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you for having me. I'm delighted to be here. Super excited to be able to talk to you. We just met in verona, so this is a nice opportunity for me to get to know you a little better. I like to start most of our conversations with, a little bit of an intro asking my guests to introduce themselves to our listeners, So maybe you can tell us a little bit more about yourself and what you're currently working on. Sure. So I was born and raised in thoughts of China to bother with Russia, which means that I have absolutely no one background because I came to French studying two thousand and thirty. So I spent an year to learn French language and I started my one journey in Rome in twenty fourteen. I finished my master's degrees in twenty seventeen and started immediately my AA CT diploma and achieved the qualification in twenty nineteen. So currently working as a one buyer for Nisa in Paris, and Nisa is, independent network of wine retailers having a strong identity made in Paris. So quite dynamic and modern. We tend to guide our customers to part their moments in life with wines such as girlfriend wines, Netflix, not favor, after work, So it is obvious that we have a French one focus representing ninety percent in the selection, but also increasingly focused on Italian wise. Besides my primary job in Niza, I'm also a one educator, occasionally working at a family in Western. Oh, so you're keeping yourself busy with lots of things. Yeah. Immersion one for How did you so I I was looking at the Nisa website and, like, you say, it's a very modern approach to wine. I love this idea of, you know, pairing wine to to moments in your life. How did you come to be involved with them as a buyer? So I could say, my professional career is starting on either. And it was in twenty seventeen. Just after got my master's degree from Accro Subderon, and that it wasn't Mike for applying from the beginning. My master's degree internship designer, board of motion working eyes, and support assisting for Chinese market. And at that time, I that separately wished to be an export sales manager. Please don't ask me why I was young and innocent. So anyway, yeah, I would it wasn't until six months later that it seemed that it was not the right decision. You know? I was tired of the paperwork, the translation, administrative work. So I moved back to Paris, and I decided to start my WACT diploma journey. It was not an easy decision for me because it was just my third year starting one, and my one acknowledged were far from doing it. So I was considering finding a part time job to manage the intensive program of diploma. Meanwhile, I could earn some money. So it was then Lisa offered a part in one sales job, and I enchanted the interview, and I got here. It's easy. Now I realized that it was such brilliant idea to work in one shop. When preparing diploma because you could taste one and train yourself within your job in attending stop testing sessions or testing new ones with producers, but also exercise to one phase. So so I worked really hard during these two years, and I did watch it much around private time. So bye bye parties or bye bye vacations. Yeah. I did not go to back to town at during these two years neither. This is such a sacrifice. Yeah. So diploma was the priority. Unfortunately, so during my two years we started, Niza was curing rapidly as well. So it's it's a good thing, from nine shops in twenty seventeen when joined the team to forty five shops including one shop in London, finished my diploma study. So, just after I achieved my diploma qualification in twenty nineteen, I was promoted to be the purchasing team by recommendations. So my current purchasing manager Charlie, I'm still having to work with him. And I could instantly hit was the person who interviewed me for the job at the beginning. Yeah. You know, yeah, it's a circle. So as the president, I was hearing the team in the world, I'm a lucky man. That's really cool. I hadn't realized, actually, we have several things in common because I came to wine in a very similar way. I started my diploma at around three years into sort of learning about wine and also decided to go into wine retail for exactly that reason. You suddenly realize that you can be exposed to all of these wines, and then you fall in love with it, and you end up staying. Yeah. Yeah. It it was really cool because you work in shops. So you establish the relations with customers and to, to, to get this relation, and you you could talk about anything or unification technical question which the producers, It was really amazing. The two years, I I I I proprised my diploma. It was such a great idea to to do it. So, obviously, you're based in Paris, you're immersed in this French wine world. So Why did you make this decision to focus on Italian wines? Because we met during your time in Verona for Via, and you're incredibly impassionate about Italian wine. So is this just something that you're coming to, or has it always been something you've loved It's a very good question for me. You are right, Rebecca? In a matter of fact, French one, it is to our main focus, Vanessa. Because there's an or a major one producing countries, it is no doubt that Vount consumption in France comes mainly from domestic wines due to the the enough quantity one produced to meet their domestic demand. While we increasingly focus on Italy wise, because first, this is the most important. I love Italian wise, and I believe personally, in Italian wise, potentially, the quality. So, in the point of a commercial view, according to an articulate land from the the share of imported wines in national consumption in general keep increasing inference and within this share. Italy occupies the first place in value. For imported. Porto is one market. Even, even about all due to the success of a posse code, yeah, driven by the success of the famous Pritz sand by effective marketing strategy. So just let me say that the quantitative volume, the first country is banned, but in value is Italy. So Italy wise are really unfair. In addition, we have to automate that French consum consumption of world wines is driven by sort of cuisine. What do I mean by that? When I work in the shop, people just came around, with the raw materials, Fatina, and it requested the one to go with. So this is the culture, is the tradition. So we could say nowadays that what's around specializing in Italian castronomy or set up domain promoters with Italian in France. However, as I run merchants, always looking for originality trying to diversify the office. So Italy is the parent choice for me. For its diversified Rediculture with native grape variety then. It is amazing. Nisa is always, viciously, to be the parent in the French wine market and we are young, Tanameica, more than we are an important share of younger generation consumers. We have a real part of a of influence on the wines that we sell to our proximity to our customers and the bond, the trust that we established with them. So, all you try our best to drop the trend to Italian wise in France and to rediscover this country for its excellent quality price ratio to adaptability of the product to market tastes and to the last point, a Italian package and a really attractive, honestly, French label like a little bit of creativity for me. Yeah. I was I was actually gonna ask what are the things you look for when you're selecting for the portfolio because it's quite a important job, like you say, you've got this young dynamic market. And I was gonna ask, you know, is packaging one of those things? What are the sort of other key things for for an Italian wine entering the French market? What are you looking for to really hit the points for that younger drinking generation? So you talk about the selection of Italian or selecting one in general? I was thinking particularly Italian because if When I think about the French market, my sort of very limited experience of being in France is it has a huge production of wine itself, very traditional, very high quality well thought of, And I wonder about how difficult it is for new producers from outside of the French market, so from Italy to enter that and really gain traction, gain attention in the French market. Just as Senator thinks to advantage of Italian wine is is to to different diversified wines styles. And, if I to if I select the Italian wines, I actually I need to highlight that the colleges the key. So this is the most important thing in a while, and it's the first thing that we look at. So Nisa is quite open minded as a site. So, we already have a decent one list different one. So we are not looking for ones from vulner regions or prestigious, appalachian, or produces internally because we have this one in our selection, but they are not the standards. We we are looking for originality, and they keep seeking to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to sacrifice that they were to make fantastic wines. I said, that made sense to me and it inspired to me and really make may come out to my job. So, I think this is very important. So, so in your reality, we we we are we're a set of immorals in May with a proposal. So, so, just as I said, the packaging and to do the selection. The first thing is to see, to if the banner is interested in being represented by us, and I think this fire question. So, I will ask them to sign their representations of the bannerway, the the star raid, once technology or marketing materials because if I need, I sell the wine, the Italian wines, I need everything. So, and then to the packaging, it's it's really important nowadays. Do I make sense? Because we we are running shops. So so we're not like restaurants or bars that you could pursue people in telling a lovely story behind the label. So basically, when people do jobs to tend to buy what they are looking at, this is kind of very crucial point for me. And and then I will look at the the presence of the these for Italianizing the French markets. So if if the if one can, it identifies widely distributed, and it will likely not give a chance, personally, for two reasons. The first is the press may be competitive, and the second is as you know, so we we have a kind of limited place in the well, at least. So so Italian is not we we could not do behind rewind. So, we we we need to to find the offer original wise. So, so, so, so this is really important. And another point is crucial is the value is a huge consideration as well. Because we want we want to show people especially French people, the depressed possible examples of Italian minds for their money. Yeah. So so just the depressed range is really important at this point. Another point to consider is the category about dynamic or organic wise? Is that is that something that you're really seeing and interested in in young drinking in France at the moment? So, you know, par parisines are so crazy about natural wise. So yep. They I feel really started the the trend for bars and restaurants and shops that particularly focus on that category. I really feel that that certainly in Europe came from Paris, and it was from Paris that London got the idea go in that direction. So I really feel Paris led the way. Yeah. So I live in Paris. So occasionally, I do the party with my friends, if it's a decent restaurants, and I really enjoy the dishes style there, but But when that tasted wise, it's really the whole thing, you know, it's it's natural ones. It's the one with four. So, basically, in Paris, you have so many natural bars or restaurants. So the trend is is is there. But but for us, Niza, they are clearly not the top priority for us, but they're always presenting an added value for for wines of a good quality. In fact, we we really we are really looking forward to belt and they're gonna organize wines because these producers respect the nature of these lies or not extended influence in the process, and they recount one as a living thing, and it affected the same way that all living things are. So, this is very important. We we have some really interesting nitrile belt and reorganized wines in the selection, but I only say these are not for the commercial consideration. Yeah. I can see that. It has a very particular place in its market. So thinking about selecting wines, I love this really complete picture you've managed to give of all the things that you have to take into consideration. You know, it's not just one thing. I wondered having just been completely immersed in this tasting experience here in verona. Is there, at the moment, one particular Italian wine, maybe a grape variety, a doc docG that you're particularly excited about? If I only hope one choice, I will choose wetiko for a variety because I would taste the fabulous wetiko, you know, for a wine. It was a two seventy nine vintage oak wine boutique. It really convinced me, and I would tough and then they go for the STOC. I have an active mind, and honestly, I want to explore all the Italian wines universe to really dig into every Italian wine region and takes wine as much as that can. But, broadly speaking, I I love wines with a good texture on the palate. So no matter to to wind hot panhard so they're dispersive on the nose, the one must have a great texture to show its balance with flavors or alcohol. So I am a burgundy drinker. So I really I really appreciate why with some telekines and elegance. So I love Barlow, I love County, but recently, I discovered citizen and wise number totally fascinated with them. The antenna wide one has a rich texture balance with the vibrant seltzer acidity, well crisp citrus fruits for lovers come out with savor and smokey minerality from volcanic cells. And why do I have of Nellelo Moscal ize as well. It has some ice with that explosion right through its flowers that leeks into a spike's nose with sentimental floral dried desert herbs. So this is light for a little easy to drink, and I'm not going to compare Antina White to show shortly or narrow or musculized pain or obesity are unique in the style and they deserved the worst attention result under the reputation of other groups. You know? So I wanna talk a little bit about education because I know this is something that you have started doing, and I wondered how you got into wine education and what kind of things you're doing? I think it's a lovely story for me. So I am a qualified biological content every. Yep. Not not a natural course to then go into wine. So, this is a lot of biology when I was in high school. So, I don't know, but it but it due to the fact that I have a bad analytic race in biological engineering, I could apply to the white relating much to the direct line friends. So, basically, during my university, we had a focus on the macro, macro biological activities, especially the activity to create fermented products, you know, such as vinegar, yogurt, soy sauce, beer, etcetera. So I I I encourage you university. The major really highlights the method production of multi. So, you know, multi is distilled spirit. It's really famous. It's, yeah, different swimmers distilluted spirit in China. So we so when we talk about the prime spiritual, well, it says it always beats this renowned dispute spirit multi, a set of national spirit, you know. So because multi was born, And only can only be made in the town of motor. I look at it in the province. Guidro considering it as an DOC. So so all the raw materials, the production precise, the climate, the water, the ease in the air, etcetera, unnecessary, to produce this innate style of spirit. So at this point, which helped me a lot to understand the terroir notion in wines, particularly for, for, for, for, for, French wines. So in parallel, I have it keep the solid acknowledge in chemistry. So biological, organic, in organic chemistry, which are really advantageous in learning one, verification, for example, the chemical molecules responsible for one flavor, the tapings or hair, alcohol, the esters or phenyl compounds in the wines. I'm really thankful for my biological background. And unfortunately, because one is a pharmacy product. So, I just write an introductory course on it that could really spark my interest in money, eventually decide to start one inference. So because I was going to the United States for for this study at the beginning. When you changed your mind and off to France, it was for the wine? Yeah. It's it's not a change, yum, my mind. It's it's I don't know. If if you like, you search on an antoni, so the top ten leased device, biological engineering schools, basically were located in United States. So so it's kind of evident choice that I go to America. But that that was one day my college professor called me by when I just live in the room and I had a little chat with me. She she just posed the question that I heard that you will go abroad to for the study. So which character did you choose? I I I just said America. And if she looked at me, And then she said, why not friends? I said, why friends? Why friends? I said, I I don't know nothing about friends. Why friends? And she told me the why? The why? I I never I have no background or why? And I didn't know it's so old. To professors, she's really kind. She sister the other day. She, she, she, she keeps us this introductory course about the white suit. So that really sparked my interest. So, I, I decide to, to go good advice to to Saudi wine inferences. It's really amazing because I already spent one usually English and I switched to France. Yeah. Yeah. It was, really good adventure for me. Yeah. So let's dive in a little bit to this talking about, you know, your background in biological engineering and fermentation because I was really excited to discover that you've been involved in Curomaster, which is the French sake competition. Now I know this is an Italian wine podcast, but I'm someone who really loves sake. I don't know a lot about it, but I know that I enjoy it in lots of different forms. So I was wondering if you could give our listeners a little background about how you came to be involved in this and how it's different, maybe judging sake to judging other forms of of things like wine. Yeah. So this is another amazing story. It's really so I think everyone that you made in your life, it's just just a high of a meaning, you know, so just bring out the parts in you. So so this is sabotage the story. Is really amazing. So as to be Chinese, to to write specific alcoholic, beverage, not unfamiliar to me. So but, unfortunately, late, despite brewing technology is originate from China believes Japan that lies continuously improved this technology. So my first experience with Saki Nihon Shui was in a master class organized by one expo Barto in two thousand and seventy. I have tasted different kinds of Nihon Shui some were out of the ordinary, like sparkling sake or Kushu vintage age to sake or some Namasaki, etcetera. So other than the popular category to remind you or Jumai. But but it wasn't until two thousand and nineteen that I started working as commissomylating the Royster on, let them to be so why do I work at a family in my part time? Because in my opinion, It is really cute to work as a family in a fine restaurant doing wine services and are making fantastic wine, preparing, and then you persuade the customer to trust you with your wine and preparing, acknowledging, and talents in limited time. It's so cool. However, as, as I said, I have a biological engineering background and a plasma advancement of degrees, but I knew absolutely nothing about similes. So I wasn't formally trained, but it was Pas Robinson, who encouraged me to give it a shot. So just after my d three example diploma, you know, the big thing, applied immediately to the certified summary program of the card on master of so many. She taught me the one's service with her patience. It just led me to the service. I'm at very first day in LATAM Doric. And she trusted me. He's trusting me, which gave me a lot of confidence, and as the hassimile of Grove Pic passes so many titles, quite similarly over American, two thousand fifteen, Bassissimile, Argentina, two thousand and ten, in two thousand fourteen, She's completely this plant splanted moment. It was she who made this fascinating sake for parents, and it took years that she promoted suitcase in France. So I don't know whether you have been in La Dame De Beek. Or not? I I have not, unfortunately. I have walked past and looked in longingly. Okay. This the the top leaks must choose the wrong powers. You can't be there. You have a super team. There is chef Sommeli, I'm wanting highly organized and the detail oriented has also a good sense of him. This is very important. Yeah. So I strongly recommend it to all the listeners, though, to to give it a try. Yeah. Okay. So it got paid down the track. So now, and this particular experience really sparked my interest in. Okay? And thanks to her recommendation as well. I've been the george Bukura master since two thousand and nineteen. So within this program of Kura master, I got my GIC Association certification in Tokyo last year. So currently, I'm working w c d l three. Okay. So I'm I'm just saying that Paz Leminson is really the person who enlightened me on this sake universe on it. I'm really grateful to work work with Scott. It's so exciting that that these two worlds came together for you and I have to say I've I've been pondering doing the level one in sake just to get a greater understanding, and you've really inspired me. I I think I'm gonna have to do it. I think this is so different compared to the one. I don't know if you have have it says down is okay. So would would it kind of stay on the second that you like? Yeah. Gosh. I don't know any of the names, but I was fortunate enough to go to Japan in two thousand nineteen with a colleague of mine who is fluent in Japanese. So she was able to choose lots of different styles for us to try during the trip, and it really opened my eyes to just how different they can be, how many styles there are. And also, like you say, they're really impacted by choices of what they're produced with, how they're produced, where they come from, the water is so important. It really got me thinking about the similarities as well as the differences between sake and kind of the the kind of, for example, French or Italian wines and and the tasting experience and the background really just truly fascinating for me. Yeah. Definitely. This has been Jamie, such an inspiring conversation. It's so exciting to hear all the different things you've been doing, the way you've given your story together. You you seem to never stop studying You seem to never stop pursuing interesting things. So what's next for you on your Italian wine journey? My new feature plan is that I would reapply to the VA program last year. I would work hard on aid. I would develop the entire Italian offers for Anita. In long term, master y is always my next destination to tonight stage after my diploma. So for me, so is so, avid in choice because I do not feel comfortable when I stop learning. So I'm the person who only moves forward on the pressure. So so this kind of exam pressure reinforced me to find my potential in a sport to bypassing me, and I was regarded besides the favorable pressure or positive pressure. So so I really enjoy it, and I have already applied to Metro One program this year. And, kind of waiting for the results. But if I get rejected this year, we reapply the next year because enjoying the learning journey is the most important for me, what the goal is of the qualification and time. But I think this a friend of mine mentioned, interesting fact that people involved in the bond industry tend to be more passionate about their work because people really talk about the job related affairs of the work or during their leisure time, but almost all the people that she might work in the one industry keep talking about once all the times. I don't know if all the one professionals are like that, but at least for me, because for me, one is not just an alcoholic beverage every time when I tastes the great one. It could evokes strongly my emotional response, and I feel so lucky to work in this field. And this is great to honor with this story. I'm a person who is powerful drilling valid desire to learn and explore to study and share. And one is my own one true love. We're just so lucky to have someone who is so passionate as part of our community. And I'm very much looking forward to the day when we can be cheering you when that MW certificate comes through because I have absolutely no doubt. You you have achieved everything you've put your mind to. I can see it coming. As yeah. Maybe it's something I will meet. I will meet someone, you know, who helps me a lot in my journey. I will meet someone, you know. I'm so lucky. So much for joining me on the Italian wine podcast today. Where can our listeners find you and what you are doing online and on social media? Confirming on Facebook and Instagram, Jamie from o zero. And, and I would be happy to chat with anyone about wise, foods. So, yeah, just leave a message, and it would take I mean, it would take this, but I'll promise a week of a reply. So just harm me. Guys, go and check out Jamie's pages, watch this space, definitely someone to keep our eye on for the future. Thank you to everyone for listening. Don't forget to follow us on social media, subscribe, and, of course, donate on the website to make sure we can keep these great conversations flowing. Jamie, thank you so much. Thank you Rebecca. Listen to the Italian wine podcast wherever you get your podcasts. We're on SoundCloud, Apple podcasts, Spotify, email ifm, and more. Don't get to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating through Italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment, production, and costs until next time.