Interview With A Sommelier – Duran Kurt

The World of Wine is beautifully showcased by an army of talented Sommeliers, who help the consumer discover their next favourite bottle, understand the different regions and pair a delicious meal with the right Glass of Bubbly.

In this feature, I speak with a man from Turkey, who has helped many people to discover the vast world of Wines and Sparkling Wines, his name is Duran Kurt, let’s find out about his life as a Sommelier.

Tell Us About Yourself

“Hello, my name is Duran, I am 39 years old and I live in Antalya with my family. I have more than 17 years of tourism experience and 7 years of sommelier experience. I can speak English and Russian, of course, I learned these during my business life.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“My first sparkling wine experience was a frizzante and I couldn’t wait to pop it, but I shook it too much and half of the wine spilled out, at that moment I experienced that shaking was not good :)”

What Inspired You To Become a Sommelier?

“The year was 2011, I was working as a waiter in Cyprus. The guests who came to the restaurant asked me for a semi-sweet red wine and I served them ÖKÜZGÖZÜ & BOĞAZKERE coupage from the red wines we had (of course, I had no knowledge of the terms of wines at that time). The lady at the table called me and politely said that if you don’t know, you should learn. This warning aroused my interest in wine, and from that day on, I started researching grapes and was introduced to the sommelier profession.”

During Your Time As A Sommelier, What’s The Most Surprising & Interesting Thing You’ve Learnt?

“I have spent 7 years as a sommelier and have always continued with the desire to learn. The strangest thing about the training I received was the prices of wines sold at such high prices. The grapes were from the same region, but the prices were very different. Solving these events excited me and I started delving deeper into deeper issues.”

What Sparkling Wine Producing Countries or Regions Hold A Special Place In Your Heart?

“Among the sparkling wines, my favorite is Prosecco, with its history, name and grape variety. Because while there are three grapes in a Champagne, they use only one grape in Prosecco, so it shows how strong the character is and this is enough reason to fall in love with it.”

What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Sommeliers?

“I don’t have the experience to inspire young people, but the only thing I can say is don’t stop learning.”

Where’s The Most Memorable Place You’ve Enjoyed A Glass of Bubbly?

“The taste of a glass of Champagne is drinking it with your loved one in the moonlight at night.”

Thank you, Duran, for sharing your words, knowledge and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Duran Kurt. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission, to use them.