Marina Tyagileva, chief winemaker of the KiN Group

The profession of a winemaker has always been surrounded by a halo of mystery: grapes, which mysteriously turn into a fragrant, divine drink; wine cellars with dim lighting and barrels covered with cobwebs ... Who are these people that create exquisite blends and are the images of any self-respecting alcoholic beverage producer? Meet Marina G. Tyagileva – chief winemaker of the KiN Group.

– You often taste alcohol beverages. How do you manage to keep yourself in shape and keep your sensory organs in working order?

– Wine Tasting is a complex process. It requires a great deal of man’s creative, mental and physical strength, as opposed to simple drink consumption. Here at the forefront is knowledge of the product, its evaluation and research.
Our company’s tasting committee tests about 15 samples a day, and apart from that I have to assess 30-40 samples a day.
Tasting is held in the morning, when a person is calm, his mind is clear and his body has not become tired yet.
During research you need not swallow a drink - it is enough to just roll it around your mouth and tongue in order to use all the taste receptors. You can also breathe in a whiff of air: the oxygen will help to assess a sample even more completely and accurately. Then you can spit into a special sink. In this manner the receptors will remain more sensitive.
At international competitions I often have to assess 40-50 cognac samples a day, and for this you need certain experience, an ability to concentrate, and to understand in time when you need to have a rest, take a break and restore your receptors with a gulp of tea or water or with a biscuit. First and foremost, there must be an objective, unbiased assessment, because each sample is the labor of a specialist and of a company!

– How should a consumer choose alcohol?

– I would recommend buying alcohol in a corporate shop or wherever you can receive a thorough consultation. Do not be lazy to go even to a quite remote shop if there are trained salespeople who know their product well enough to consult you. One more piece of advice: choose reliable brands of alcohol, but if you love to experiment, obtain the maximum amount of information about the product in advance.

– Can an alcohol manufacturer develop the drinking culture in Russia and nurture a consumer’s taste?

– A high-quality product launch and its maintenance at a constant level, the introduction of innovative technologies, a delicate approach to the customer and concern for him, information about the product and how to use it – all of this, of course, promote a drinking culture. But most importantly, product manufacturers have to respect themselves and not be reduced to falsifications and counterfeits. To use a high-quality product and to consume it moderately is, in fact, the drinking culture!

– How do you spend holidays in your family?

– I love to celebrate the holidays actively in the open country and while camping. I like to prepare in advance and to make an interesting program so that it will be exciting for everybody. I like to cook, and when camping, it is a special pleasure.
And if speaking about the drinks which I prefer when on vacation and at family celebrations, they include white French wine and, of course, KiNovsky brandy.

– What advice would you give young people who are just beginning to drink alcoholic beverages?