My passion for wine started when I was 15. Sitting still was never really my thing, so I started working in hospitality alongside school. I ended up in a restaurant in Haarlem, a classic French place. Not too fancy, just traditional cooking and serving guests. That’s where I first got into wine, and it sparked my curiosity.

A year later, I moved to a bigger, fish-focused restaurant just below Michelin-star level. At first, I was mostly doing the basics: polishing glasses, refilling, running plates, whatever needed to be done. But I quickly noticed that if you knew something about wine, you could advise guests, pour glasses, or even open a bottle at the table. That really excited me. I realized that wine wasn’t just something you served, it was a way to connect with people and start conversations.

Alongside work, I started taking wine more seriously and followed the SDEN, the dutch wine studies, where I found myself in a world full of people who shared the same passion. During these courses and tastings, I made friends who were just as interested as I was, and we fueled each other’s enthusiasm. This lead me to go all in and I completed my Vinologen and WSET 3 and 4 certifications. Besides these wine studies, working in some of the top michelinstar restaurants in the Netherlands gave me the discipline, the structure and the professionalism that really shaped me and I still carry that mindset with me wherever I go.

But how did I end up going from Amsterdam to Valencia? In 2019, I did a six-month internship in Barcelona at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. I went to work in Australia after that, but COVID changed everything, and I ended up back in the Netherlands sooner than expected. Everything was closed, work was barely possible. I asked myself: “What do I really want?” Then the opportunity to go to Valencia came along. Better weather, a chance to improve my Spanish, a new environment and before I knew it, I was here, starting my first wine tastings.

That first wine tasting was small and experimental: a few bottles, five guests in a co-living space, and a plan that still needed shaping. It was all about discovering, experimenting, and having fun. Everyone enjoyed it, and I realized this was my thing. A few years later, I now host wine tastings for up to 45 people in beautiful locations, with good glassware and a well-thought-out story. The fun is the same, but the finesse has grown.

For me, it’s not just about pouring wine. The best part is when people learn something. When someone says after a tasting, “Ah, now I understand why I like this,” or can share a fun fact with friends at a restaurant, that’s priceless. Of course, it has to be enjoyable, and the wine needs to be of high quality, but combining knowledge and pleasure is what I really love.

And the future? I see myself building a community of wine lovers here in Valencia: special wine tastings, vineyard tours, visits to local wine bars. Everything has to stay personal and high quality. Ultimately, I want people to say: “Want to do something with wine in Valencia? Tristan is the guy to call.”

I started at the beginning, polishing glasses and serving plates at fifteen. Now I run my own wine tasting events here in Valencia. I moved for the weather and to improve my Spanish, but I stayed to share quality wine with all of Valencia.