Kris Van De Sompel
KRIS VAN DE SOMPEL. SAINT-EMILION IN BELGIUM: A HISTORICAL PASSION
Who better than a tireless French wines ambassador in Belgium to tell us about the affection Belgian people have for Saint-Emilion wines? Kris Van de Sompel describes wines that are historically important to the Belgians whose “the grandparents, the parents drank Saint-Emilion wine”.
KRIS VAN DE SOMPEL, WINE CONSULTANT, WINE STUDIES TEACHER.
SAINT-EMILION, A UNIQUE IDENTITY
With a large smile, Kris Van de Sompel explains that for the Belgians, Saint-Emilion is like a “second home”, because those wines are so familiar. “We’ve seen Saint-Emilion evolve over decades, and wine had kept on getting better”, says Kris Van de Sompel happily. Why such a strong relationship? This enthusiast describes wines which have “an identity not found elsewhere”. Moreover, many Belgians have invested in Saint-Emilion, Kris Van de Sompel explains, seduced by “the tradition, elegance, and personal soul” of those wines.
WHICH FOOD AND DRINKS PAIRINGS?
Proof of their unique character, Kris Van de Sompel adds: “blind folded, when I taste a Saint-Emilion wine, I know it is a Saint-Emilion”. To enjoy it with a meal, he advises to pair those wines according to the season: “in autumn with a bit of game, or in summer a young Saint-Emilion goes well with lamb”. But there is one condition, for to those wines to reveal their tannic side and their flavors, “not too much spice”, Kris Van de Sompel says.