Long, winy road

First step

Her journey to becoming a sommelier started when she was studying her master's degree in business management at a university in Paris. She made a visit to Burgundy and got the chance to taste 18 wines, which she immediately fell in love with.

She then searched through all of the wine-related programs she could find before she decided on a sommelier course.

"For wine making, it needs a background in chemistry and biology, which I don't have, and it's more of a behind-the-scenes technical job," Li explains. "Some of the wine tasting courses were as short as two or three months."

When she heard the word "sommelier", Li immediately researched it and found a course that covered all of her expectations for a course about wine-from the basic principles surrounding the libation, to grape planting and wine making, to winery management and food pairing.

When she phoned her father to tell him her plan to quit her studies and learn to be a sommelier instead, he asked what she would do after that-as he'd never heard of the job before.

"I said, if I learn about it properly and develop a passion for it, I'll find a job," says Li, who recalls that her father paused for a while before offering his support, sensing her determination.