"I grew up in Burgundy in a family of artisan barrel makers and farmers. Like many French children, my first wine memories are of traditional, four hour-long family lunches on Sunday afternoons. At first, I did not understand why “grown ups” spent so much time discussing wine, its taste, its vintage, the winemaker, the village or vineyard it came from! But when I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” the first thought that came to my mind was to become an “Ambassador of Burgundy.” I could travel the world and stay connected with my home region and people. Following the advice of my very “down to earth” family, I first had to earn a solid education, be financially independent and pick an industry where I could work internationally right away.