On the evening of 15 May, 2024, the Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management Programme, allied with the SEG Swiss Education Group, invited Mr. Simon Thompson from the Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS) for an immersive wine tasting introduction. This formed a part of Assistant Professor Dr. Zhang Liheng's Food and Beverage Management course, conducted in classroom CC302.

During the course's initial phase, Mr. Thompson used fruits and spices to vividly depict the unique styles inherent in various wine types, including white, rosé, sparkling, red, and dry, medium, and sweet wines. In the latter phase, he brought seven types of wine for students to taste, teaching the essentials of wine tasting: observation, scent, and taste.

He further demonstrated how to expertly pair wines with diverse foods in a restaurant scenario, optimizing customer experience. Mr. Thompson was proud of the students' progress and the event ended with applause.

Simon Thompson is the 1^st Year Programme manager at SHMS. Having developed his career within the hospitality industry predominantly at a 5-star hotel level, he specialized in Food & Beverage together with his own business both in the UK and in mainland Europe.

Photographers: Weilu Wang

Editor: Weilu Wang