Who am I? What can I do for YOU?
Born French, I also have Spanish and Italian roots. Because of my father’s work, I travelled quite a lot all around the world in my youth. This gave me a wonderful experience and a great interest for different cultures and peoples. It showed me how beautiful the world can be when you just do your best to be part of it. Some years after my lyceum in France, I moved to the Netherlands in 1978 where I am still living now. Married with my Dutch wife since 1980, I became Dutch citizen in 1985.
During my 4th year at the KUN University in Nijmegen, an economic crisis forced me to change my plans. Trying to be a high-school French teacher in the Netherlands was not any more a logical choice. To finance my study, I worked 4 years as waiter in the Arnhem City Theatre and enjoyed it pretty much. I decided then to make work from my passion for food & beverages. I started at the Dutch Wine Museum in Arnhem in 1983. Thanks to the family Donders (Robbers & v/d Hoogen Wine Buyers in Arnhem) I found my way in the world of wine, spirits and gastronomy in the Netherlands.
From 1984 to 1991 I visited thousands of point of sales, cash & carry wholesales, restaurants, bars and food specialists as VRP Wines, Spirits (and delicatessen) for different Dutch and international companies. Besides selling, I was also promoting my products on fairs and at the point of sales. I was in charge of big promotion budgets, press-contacts, advertising, event organisation and much more.
In 1992 I switched to marketing & merchandising of French products in the Dutch Horeca/CHR, working for the French export and promotion bureau SOPEXA. I learned a lot about marketing, budget management, promotion, public-relations and press-contact during that year. Unfortunately, the central management in Paris decided to cut down in their representation staff in the Netherlands and I lost my job.
After a sad break, I struggled and came back to the world of wine & gastronomy as writer of 3 books: 1 small, 1 big Wine Encyclopedia and 1 Cheese Encyclopedia. The big Wine Encyclopedia was a worldwide hit, translated in many languages; it won the 2003 Gourmand Award of Best Wine Educative Book of the World. I wrote hundreds of articles for different magazines, as well for consumers as for professionals (CHR/Horeca, Wholesalers, Retail…) in the Netherlands and Belgium. Besides writing, I also translated wine technical sheets, promotion leaflets and even menu cards from Michelin star restaurants (NL>F). I worked as well as free-lance consultant for some Dutch wine importers, and as helpful link between foreign wine or food producers and Dutch importers.
Self-employed since 1996, I managed my own website for 4 years, switching to a weblog in 2010.
Life has not always been fair to me and I was badly affected by a big amount of tragic losses among my beloved ones. But I learned to survive and developed a strong perseverance skill and wills-power. However, in this difficult economic situation, I do need a little bit more positive energy to go on sharing what I can and what I know with others. As writer, I would of course certainly love to write new books about wine & gastronomy; that is one of my priority goals in 2012. If you are a – serious – publisher with a worldwide network, please feel free to contact me by m@il I would be delighted to become your writer!
I am also open for new challenges:
- scouting of wine and food for European importers / finding interesting and interested Dutch importers for wine and food producers
- translating websites, promotion documents, technical sheets (…) from French, English, Spanish to Dutch / translating and/or correcting websites, promotion documents, technical sheets (…) from Dutch to French, especially for small, human sized, wellness and organic/biodynamic food producers
- public relations / promotions officer for ‘green’ organisations on international fairs
- travelling and checking accommodations like restaurants and hotels (mystery guest) / mystery guest, writer for food & wine retail
- store-checks in the Netherlands (retail, wholesale, wine & food) for foreign producers/organisations
- your proposition…
Last but surely not least, I could use some sponsoring from green, sustainable wine, food and wellness companies wishing to help me going on sharing my experiences online while it could give them extra exposure! You can contact me by m@il
See also my 1000+ LinkedIn account!
Christian Callec, Wine & Gastronomy Press
Membre du jury du Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Maastricht 2007, Bordeaux 2008, Valencia 2009, Palermo 2010, Luxembourg 2011, Guimarães 2012
CMB Brasil 2008
CMB Chile 2008-2009-2010 vinos
CMB Chile 2008- 2009-2010 productos gourmet (jury president)
Member of international jury Georgian wine competition 2006, 2011
Member of international jury Vinul.Ro Excellence Awards 2011
Jury member Terravino 2008, Eilat, Israel
Membre du jury du Concours des Vins de Provence 2008
GOURMAND AWARDS THE BEST WINE BOOKS IN THE WORLD 2003 – Barcelona, 02-2004
BEST WINE EDUCATION BOOK
BEST IN THE WORLD – ENGLISH – REST OF THE WORLD
The Complete Encyclopaedia of Wine (Rebo International-NL)
This book has been translated in many languages
Arnhem – NL –
K.V.K. Arnhem nr. 09095860 – Btw nummer: 1132 59 360 B01
