Wine tasting affords him a posh lifestyle

Wine Connoisseur Kevin Wacera is passionate about wine; a passion that earns him a good living. [PHOTO: WILLIS AWANDU/STANDARD]

NAIROBI, KENYA: At just 21, Kevin Wacera is an accomplished wine connoisseur. He knows everything there is to know about wine and is making a tidy sum of money sharing that knowledge with people who enjoy swirling a glass of fine wine from time to time and who also love minting money from it.

When he starts to talk about his passion, hopes and aspirations, it is hard to believe that this self-made wine connoisseur has accomplished so much without any formal training.

“My foray into wine began when I was freshly out of high school. I got a temporary job as a bartender and it struck me that the staff did not seem to know much about the wine they served. I also noted that some clients wanted more than just someone to pour their drink into a glass. They needed advice about what wine to order, which one went well with what dish and much more. I decided to take advantage of the situation and learn. I wanted to make myself indispensable,” says Kevin.

Under the tutelage of a senior bartender, Kevin learnt all he could about wine — vintage, grape, wine makers, regions where wine is grown, types of wine and how to pair wine with different cuisines.

When the senior bartender had taught him all he knew, Kevin devoured the wine labels, reading and memorising all he could. Then when all the labels were read, he trawled the Internet and read all the books he could find about his pet subject.

Eight months and several more restaurants later, he landed his dream job — being the on-trade accounts manager at the Wine Shop along Ngong Road, a job that put him in direct contact with the people who buy wine for top class hotels in the country.

He is using these connections to build his own wine consultancy through which he offers personalised service to a select group of wealthy clients who are willing to pay anything from Sh100,000 to Sh500,000 a session. Sometimes the sessions are conducted in the clients’ homes.

His job entails carefully selecting wines and offering invaluable advice to clients.

“I am able to advise a client to select, for example, a Merlot-red, medium-bodied wine that goes well with food. If a client is hosting important guests for dinner, I offer tips on how to serve the wine and which glasses to use for what,” he says.

The job has afforded him the enviable luxury of being able to live, work and socialise with the cream of society.

But life has not always been this rosy. The first of two children, Kevin was raised by a single mother who, like many single parents, struggled to provide for her family.

“I learnt to fend for myself early in life. While my mother worked as a psychiatrist, I spent a lot of time alone or with my teachers. From the age of seven, I remember picking the house keys under the mat after school and doing homework unsupervised,” he says.

After Form Four, his family faced hard economic times, forcing the former Kangari Boys School student to man up and support his mother in fending for the family. He was only 18 but he never looked back.

His guiding principle, he says, is to always serve with humility and to learn something new at every opportunity.

And, when you think you have made it, Kevin advises, learn not to get too comfortable because there will always be someone doing better than you are, so strive to better yourself.

To youngsters who aspire to grow in their chosen fields, Keven says: “The secret lies in surrounding oneself with like-minded people.”

He says before he can sell his company, he has learnt to sell himself first as a person who is knowledgeable about wine and about his client.

He is also committed and puts customer relations above making a sale.

“Don’t chase after money. If you are good at what you do, money will find you. The amount will perplex you.”

His career ambitions lie in going to business school to learn how to manage his business.

He has set a clear goal to be his own boss in the next two years.

Kevin also dreams of becoming a movie star and director, and God knows he has the looks to pull this off some day.