Felix Zhang
Born in December 1992, 32-year-old Felix Zhang has spent nine years building a career as a sommelier since graduating from Shandong Agricultural University with a degree in Viticulture and Wine Engineering.
His career began at Hakkasan Shanghai, where he joined in 2015 and quickly rose to the position of head sommelier in 2018. Currently, Zhang serves as the head sommelier of Vivant Shanghai, a fine-dining French restaurant.
Felix is actively involved in sommelier competitions, both as a candidate and a judge. In 2018, Zhang won the championship of the China National Sommelier Competition. In 2019, Zhang was a judge of the China Wine Competition. In 2023, his wine list was recognized as the Best Medium Sized Wine List in Asia by Star Wine List.
The pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to China’s dining industry, but he stressed the importance of personal growth in challenging times. “During tough times, I’ve come to realise the significance of enhancing my skills and knowledge to strengthen my core competitiveness,” he shares. He emphasizes the need to collaborate with restaurants to improve service, attract more patrons, and boost revenue.
Zhang is heartened to see growing enthusiasm for wine among customers in recent years.
“It is important for a sommelier to make customers accept and enjoy wines through your communication,” Zhang said, “and to deliver accurate knowledge and information to the customers and foster their consumption habits for wine. I believe things will be better.”
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