Janisaa Pradja
Wine Consultant & Sommelier
Tell us about yourself, what do you do and how you did you get there?
My name is Janisaa Pradja, I’m 26 years old and I am a sommelier a.k.a a wine professional. My passion for wine started at the age of 18 where I experienced my first ever wine tasting in France, I instantly fell in love with the history, the process, and the entirety of the wine industry. This lead me to choose to go to a school that had a wine program where I graduated with a bachelor of science in oenology (winemaking) yes that exists! I didn’t know what I wanted to be yet after that so I continued on my studies and eventually got my WSET (The Wine & Spirit Education Trust) which is a globally recognized education and qualifications in wines. From there it open the door for me into the wine industry where eventually I found a position in a company called DSP to be their sommelier and also to be Schott Zwiesel's brand ambassador.
[Janisaa wears our Zendaya dress in Linen Rainbow Stripes]
Can you describe the role of a sommelier?
A sommelier is a trained wine professional with in-depth knowledge about grapes and wines. My role c
onsists of a variety of tasks in the hospitality industry including; creating and updating a wine list for customers, making recommendations for food and wine pairings, wine training, hosting wine events, wine educations and much more. Anything to do with wine I’m your girl.
What’s the best way for a wine lover to learn about wine?
If you want to take your love for wine a step further and get into wine appreciation, you got to change the way you drink. Focus and practice more on the correct tasting process, expand your palate and taste different varieties of wine, learn more about each wine region, and set up comparative tastings to improve your ability to taste. Drink more wine!
[Janisaa wears our Marla dress in Navy/Black Square]
When tasting wine, what should we be looking for?
As I mentioned above we need to start practicing on the correct tasting process, which is a 4 step method:
1. Look - Observe the colour and clarity of the wine.
2. Swirl - Swirl the wine to bring out the aromas.
3. Sniff - Smell your wine, note the primary and secondary flavours.
4. Taste - Sip your wine, savour the flavour and notice the finish.
Does the glass shape/size make a difference?
Definitely! from my experience working for Zwiesel I have learned so much on how different wine glasses can help enhance the aromas, flavour profile, mouthful and finish of a wine. The same wine can smell, and therefore taste, completely different depending on which glass it is served in.
What are the qualities to look for when purchasing wine?
Choosing a good wine is completely subjective. By learning about your tastes & general characteristics of wine you can narrow it down to what style of wine you want, what region you want, or what are you pairing the wine with.
What’s your favourite wine?
I can never answer this question because I love every wine for its unique characteristics. I am a champagne girl at heart but I love trying all kinds of wine.
What advice do you have for someone going to their first wine tasting?
Have fun and enjoy the experience. I understand that some people might be intimidated but honestly just enjoy the wine, try and evaluate the wine on your own or enjoy what the sommelier has to say. That's what we are here for!