Without travel you cant really know the place you are from
David Mansaray
In late November 2008 I was graduating with a degree in Enology in Athens while at the same time I was practising my second vintage harvest on the island of Santorini It was a period in my life when I was becoming ever more curious and excited in discovering with my own eyes and soul the art of winemaking worldwide
Early enough in my career I realized that no matter how many wine books I read or how many wines I tasted I would never become accomplished before I finally handcrafted my own wine
My journey across the wine world started in early 2009 with a trip to Mendoza Argentina If I were ever asked to express my overall experience in one word that word would be teamwork a principle I intend to treasure throughout my career
Cahors France was the second destination of my journey This southwestern region in France famed for the Malbec grape variety taught me how the integration of everyday life with the skills of winemaking can generate a new synthesis called knowledge
After France it was now time for Australia to be my new home Winemaking in Australia and quality control go hand in hand I have experienced all levels of winemaking with their impeccable focus on the preservation of flavours and aromas both signature characteristics of Australian wines I have revisited Australia on numerous occasions and was always faced with the same question Are you a white or red winemaker In a country where specialization is very important I was lucky enough to become involved with both types of wines and at the same time deal with all kinds of grape varieties
Last but not least in my journey across the wine world was California A land so generously gifted by nature Napa and numerous other valleys of California are decorated every year with new stateoftheart boutique style wineries thus giving the opportunity for new people to develop their winemaking skills and produce new modern wines
One of the lessons I derived from my practical work across the world was to appreciate the knowledge that I acquired as a student of Enology in Greece and from my interaction with the local growers Winemaking in Greece is deeply routed into our culture and has also technologically evolved throughout the years as Greek winemakers nowadays meticulously analyse assess and craft all types of wines
Nonetheless all individuals must be dedicated to becoming the best version of themselves Opting for work placement abroad and then implementing the positive experiences from our host countries to our own ethics gives us the foundation for a promising career
The road to selfaccomplishment is long but the path is charted Most of us will one day inevitably return to our homelands where our childhood memories still linger on