For the past two years, Fabrizio Bucella has been sharing his knowledge of wine as an accredited tutor at the Bordeaux Wine School. Interview with Bucella who loves sharing his knowledge of Bordeaux wine.

Please tell us about your background

“For a long time, I have had two prized interests: on one hand, hard science, and on the other hand, wine tasting and sommellerie. The first time I really discovered wine was during a school trip to the Burgundy vineyards in my final year of secondary school. I later went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Physics, followed by a PHD in Science, during which time I also undertook a sommelier qualification at the Italian Sommelier Association.

At the time, people found it rather amusing – my university friends found it strange that I wanted to serve wine in bars and restaurants, while my sommelier friends found it odd that I had chosen to study a PHD, since the world of sommellerie is not accustomed to rubbing shoulders with a future Doctor of Science!”

When did you first fall in love with Bordeaux wine?

“It was love at first taste during my first wine classes aged 16. In Belgium, Bordeaux is unquestionably the crème de la crème of wine. I have always been a history lover, and found the 1855 classification particularly fascinating”.

What are the benefits of your multidisciplinary teaching style at the Bordeaux Wine School?

“In terms of the content, my scientific background led me to propose traditional explanations in order to give lecturers, auditors and students a different perspective that they won’t find by googling “Bordeaux wine”. In terms of style, I am able to draw on my knowledge acquired over years of teaching. My main focus in all my activities has always been on sharing knowledge.

It’s not tasting wines that interests me most, but the fact that I am able to share my passion, and encourage students to discover new sensations and the history of Bordeaux wines based on a science. I love to write and give classes. Students’ and lecturers’ questions enable me to see things from a different perspective and progress”.

In your opinion, what is the key to understanding and learning about Bordeaux wine?

“This rather pertinent question takes me back to when I was 16 years old, when I first started to learn about wine. For me, there isn’t a universal answer, otherwise it would already have been found on the internet. Instead, there as many answers as there are vintages, grape varieties, regions, etc. You have to know how to find the solution, and choose the most appropriate form of communication (oral or written) depending on your audience (student or lecturer).

One taster’s experience will not necessarily be the same as the next, and obviously I can’t read their minds. The role of the tutor is to know how to remain neutral in order to suggest an answer without imposing their viewpoint and propose a solution without disregarding other possibilities. Like an archaeologist, they have to adopt a layered approach, and provide numerous possible interpretations concerning Bordeaux wines, until one of them resonates with their respective audience.

Then, it is up to the students to do the work. I will propose a series of discoveries and wine tastings to help them develop their knowledge further”.

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Most popular class: Food and wine matches

Favourite class: The history of Bordeaux wines