our story
KiRa Consultants
KIRA is a consulting service dedicated to the interconnected worlds of wine, hospitality, and experiential events. Our ethos is to help businesses and professionals in the wine industry expand their knowledge and develop their expertise, while supporting enological projects through access to a network of seasoned sommeliers and winemakers across France.
Founders Franck Ramage and Charlotte King met working at the prestigious International Institute of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu Paris. Their combined 30 years’ experience in French wine and culture is now at the disposal of their esteemed clientele, who turn to KIRA for wine education, operations training, wine selection, tailor-made experiences, and vineyard study trips.
Alongside projects with wine professionals, KIRA connects directly with the public through Bacchus&Clio – a company specializing in bespoke wine and gastronomy experiences for discerning travelers.
founder
Franck Ramage
Franck Ramage started his career in 1991 as a sommelier at Drouant, a two Michelin Starred restaurant, followed by the Espadon at the Ritz Hotel, another two Michelin Starred establishment. After working as an assistant sommelier at the Amphycles Restaurant, he joined the team at the renowned Hotel de Crillon as assistant sommelier at Les Ambassadeurs. Alongside chefs Christian Constant and Dominique Bouchet, Franck advanced to deputy director of the sommelier and bar teams for seven years.
In 1999, Franck became a sommelier professor teaching tasting, service techniques, enology, legislation and food and wine pairings at the private hospitality school, Albert de Mun in Paris. After 10 years training the new generation of Parisian sommeliers, he joined Le Cordon Bleu Paris, where he served as Head of the Wine department in 2011. His objective was to create a program that would serve as the French reference for intensive wine training, targeting the international public who wish to become wine professionals.
Franck has strived to perfect his skills and convey his incredible passion for wine throughout his career. Since 2005, he has been a member of the Association des Sommeliers de Paris (ASP) Board and has been accredited for teaching by the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bordeaux (CIVB) since 2007, and the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) since 2015.
In 2012 Franck Ramage was awarded the title of Master Sommelier by l’Union de la Sommellerie Française.
In November 2019, alongside Charlotte King, he embarked on a new adventure, founding KiRa and Bacchus & Clio.
founder
Charlotte King
Charlotte King is originally from Wisconsin, USA, and first moved to Burgundy, France, in 2004. She returned to the United States to attend Lawrence University, where she majored in Theater History and French, followed by a Master’s degree in Translation from the University of Wisconsin and the Institut Supérieur d’Interprétation et Traduction (ISIT)
Charlotte began her professional teaching career at renowned universities in Paris, including the Sorbonne Nouvelle and Marne la Vallée. Her focus was on history – theater history, art history and American history – as well as literature. This combination of skills led Charlotte to conduct private, guided tours around Paris’ illustrious institutions, museums, and heritage sites, while at the same time securing a coveted French National Guide card.
In 2016, Charlotte joined the wine team at Le Cordon Bleu Paris as an in-house interpreter. Her teaching and language skills were well-received, giving Charlotte the opportunity to nurture a newfound passion for wine. Since then, Charlotte has had the opportunity to interpret for winemakers and sommeliers across France and become part of the French training team for the ‘Best Sommelier of the World’ competition, working with French candidate David Biraud. Now certified WSET level 3, Charlotte loves to use her unique fusion of teaching, interpreting and historical knowledge to bring French culture to life for international wine lovers.