French intern Hughes Baggio demonstrates how bottles of wine are filled at Thistle Meadow Winery for customer Linda Jablonski of Johnson City, Tenn.

Frenchman is intern at winery

Twenty-one year-old Hughes Baggio made his first trip to the United States this July and the French student has been working as an intern at the Thistle Meadow Winery in Laurel Springs.

Tom Burgiss, the head of the family-owned business, has been teaching the intern the “tricks of the trade.”

“I do everything,” said Baggio. “I package (the wine), work in the tasting room, speak with the consumer and explain the wine process. It’s very interesting and very cool to be here; everybody takes care of me.”

One thing that impressed him from the beginning was the demeanor of the winery’s visitors.

“I meet a lot of people here,” Baggio said. “People are very friendly and talkative. They come from many different places. I like talking with them.”

In their spare time, he and Burgiss try to go to the Alleghany Wellness Center two or three times a week, where Baggio enjoys swimming. During his stay, Baggio has attended a lawnmower race and the demolition derby. “I like everything about Sparta,” Baggio said. With a smile and laugh, he added, “I really like crazy games for crazy American people. I wish I could drive in the demolition derby.”

Baggio also has attended all of Alleghany High’s football games since the end of August.

“It’s difficult to understand the rules of the game, but I appreciate the game,” he said.

Comparing Sparta to his college town of Toulouse, he commented that Sparta is “interesting.”

“It’s so different from Toulouse. The buildings and shops are different. Here, you don’t have as many sidewalks as we do in France.”

In an attempt to make other comparisons, Baggio found it difficult, saying, “I can’t put into words the difference.”

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