Welcome | The Institute | The godfathers
IRS'S GODFATHER
FRANÇOIS-XAVIER DEMAISON
ACTOR, COMEDIAN, PRODUCER, THEATER DIRECTOR AND WINEMAKER
BIOGRAPHY
Nominated for Molières prize in 2007, François-Xavier Demaison is also nominated for the César for best actor. From then on, he made around fifty films and toured with the greatest directors - Antoine De Caunes, Hugo Gélin, Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache, etc. - and starred alongside François Berléand, Pierre Niney, Thierry Lhermitte, Virginie Efira, Gerard Depardieu, Franck Dubosc, Valérie Lemercier, Christian Clavier, François Cluzet, Omar Sy, etc.
Producer and director of the Théâtre de l'Œuvre in Paris, he also goes on stage to don his comedian's outfit. His latest show “Di(x) Vin(s)” reveals one of his great passions: wine. His respect for the land and the identity of the products make him dream and making his own wine seems obvious.
Having fallen in love with a Catalan woman, he also became attached to the land and the territory and became crazy about Roussillon wines...
His love for the local art of living and gastronomy also lead him to participate in and sponsor the annual Pellicu’live festival which takes up residence in Thuir, and highlights wine, gastronomy, music and cinema.
A WORD FROM OUR GODFATHER
“I am happy to support this institute which has been created in this beautiful region! The combination of wine, celebration and gastronomy is a successful bet!
Moreover, Thuir adopted me and saw the birth of my wife, her friends, her family. This city, also hosted and will continue to host the Pelliculive festival which highlights gastronomy, live cinema and music.
I could only feel honored to support this beautiful project of a multi-site regional Sommellerie institute:
Long live wine! »
SPONSOR OF THE IRS
THUIR CAMPUS
2023-2024
ELIZABETH GABAY
MASTER OF WINE
WORLD ROSÉ SPECIALIST
BIOGRAPHY
Born in New York (USA), she started her career with a degree in medieval European history and a few years of experience in publishing, theater and traveling around the world - notably visiting vineyards in California. , in New Zealand and Australia.
Having developed a passion for wine, she has been working in this world since 1986 and became a Master of Wine in 1998,
It then specialized in wines from the South of France and Central Europe and became a world reference for rosé wines. She also teaches her specificities to many students in France.
She also created her consulting business, specializing in wine, with her son Ben (Master Economy) and her husband David (Harvard MBA),
Quite naturally, she therefore settled with her family, in the South-East of France, between Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Italy (Liguira/Piemont) in 2022.
Finally, after 20 years of collaboration with Hungary and Central European wines, she intervened in the creation of a first rosé with a Slovak producer and decided to create her own wine in Slovakia, in partnership with Vladimir Magula. The first vintage will be soont available!
A WORD FROM OUR GODMOTHER
I believe education is essential in the wine world to encourage diversity and creativity and honor quality of life.
The Thuir Campus has all the means at the cutting edge of teaching to train the professionals of today and tomorrow in this exciting world of wine and gastronomy.
It also has a real desire for international openness and to proudly represent the wines that fascinate me. I am therefore very enthusiastic about being involved in this new Institute.
GODFATHER OF THE SOMMELLERIE CERTIFICATE
2023-2024
PHILIPPE FAURE-BRAC
BEST SOMMELIER IN THE WORLD 1992
M.O.F HONORIS CAUSA
MC Sommellerie available only on the Banyuls-sur-Mer's campus
BIOGRAPHY
In 1984, Philippe Faure-Brac, Best Sommelier in the World 1992, opened the Bistrot du Sommelier in Paris, a wine restaurant, which he has managed ever since. He, who for seven years was in charge of the selection of wines for the Air France flying cellar, also signed the wine list for the France pavilion at the Universal Exposition in Milan 2015.
For ten years president of the Association of Sommeliers of Paris Île-de-France, he has been a member of the board of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale since 2004. He has also been president of the Union de la Sommellerie Française since 2016. Since its creation in 2000, he has chaired the competition “One of the Best Workers in France”, a sommelier class from which he received the title in 2015 at the Sorbonne. by M.O.F. Honoris Causa.
He participates in the writing of numerous articles, he co-hosts every weekend alongside Alain Marty “In vino Sud Radio”, a weekly program devoted to wine. He has published numerous books with EPA-Le Chêne including in 2020 “Accords Vins & Put”.
Knight of Agricultural Merit and National Merit, he was promoted to “Officer of Agricultural Merit” in January 2018.
A WORD FROM THE GODFATHER
A WORD FROM OUR GODFATHER
"I am very invested in daily transmission, with a team structure structured around a room manager and a brigade of sommeliers, interns and apprentices, in my restaurant "The Bistrot du Sommelier" in Paris.
I work in close collaboration with the National Education to re-evaluate the sommelier training courses such as the Sommelier Professional Certificate.
In this spirit, it is essential to promote dynamism and initiatives that are committed to the future of sommellerie. The project of the Institut Régional de Sommellerie Sud de France is part of this philosophy of influence and transmission of the values of our profession, which is why it is a pleasure and an honor for me to be the godfather of the first promotion of the Sommelier Professional Certificate of the Institute."