Portraits

Nathalie initially studied economics before continuing her training at the Ecole Hotelière of Lausanne. She joined the family business in 1999 and brought her knowledge of business management, and was present on all fronts, reigned over the computers, ran the restaurant team and her father gave her the keys of the cellar of the “Ermitage” with more than a thousand wines from all continents to manage.

Vincent Debergé is a young French and talented sommelier with a professional dream carrier. He enthusiastically talks about his journey. He recalls with affection his guides and mentors who helped him paint a dream goal and gave him the love for the job. Vincent explains he is not an Obelix who fell into a wine cask when he was young. He details that in the Basque region, where he spent his childhood, balancing your life is the main activity. A days is simply spent playing “pelota”, eating good local food and drinking regional wines. The wine was always part of his life.

Fabio Masi is a world-renowned sommelier. He owes it to his natural elegance, precision, a charismatic personality and a unique smile. The sommelier regularly attends competitions around the world. He competes by passion and a desire to constantly improve, again and again. This tough expert is eager to specialize and refine his knowledge of wine regions around the world, as well as all imaginable spirits. In these very high level competitions, he appreciates the friendly and constructive dialogue he maintains with his pairs in this elite world of wine.

Samuel Boissy is from Bouillé-Lorertz, a town located in the region of Poitou-Charentes. Its inhabitants are called the Bouillavins and Bouillavines (literally the wine faces). Was that a sign on the path of our young wine taster ?  Samuel is the son of a schoolteacher and a welder; however, his path was not laid out in advance. “In the family we like to drink a good glass of wine and would easily open a bottle with our meals”. Samuel always liked wine, but did not plan to make a career out of it. It was only later thanks to significant encounters with wine specialists that he came to understand wine and its complexity.

First he hands you a glass of Chasselas, a Swiss grape he loves, requesting your view of his latest discovery; a rather pleasant introduction. Standing in a corner of his restaurant, his black sommelier apron tied around his waist, Jerome Aké Beda tastes different wines for an upcoming "winemaker evening," a food and wine pairing dinner, scheduled for a hundred people. Aké Beda was awarded the title of: “Sommelier of the Year 2015” by the Gault & Millau in Switzerland. A reward he considers "a symbol, a strong signal" to the African he is.

Martin Hubacher is undoubtedly the most famous winemaker of the region. He spend a generous time with us at his winery in Twann. A conversation marked by its frankness and a rare honesty, along with humor and gravity. The beginning of Martin’s life at the winery was hard. He had just completed his training in Changins (Swiss wine school), when he had to take over the estate after the unexpected death of his father, a man still in his young age. A heavy burden and many responsibilities for a young man who was not quite prepared yet for the task.

As she takes over the family estate, Sabine Steiner, has reached a crossroad. She holds her fate well in her hands and talks about the future of her 15 acres (6 hecateres) estate and of her fiancé, Andreas, also winemaker in the region. A "fusion" or close cooperation between the estates is being considered. On the Schernelz estate, the team is solid and Marco Menke, the oenologist and wine maker will soon be seconded by a new head of culture which will in turn help move from integarted production to a more organic approach. Biodynamic is already being tested on the estate. Speaking of working in the vineyard, Sabine admits that she could not do without it today, although it was hard for her when she was younger. Nevertheless certain works are hard for a woman.

Adrian Klötzli hosted us with warmth and a little shyness in his small estate near the Twannbach (Twann creek). This young man is a typical representative of the Swiss plurality. Formed both at Changins and Wädenswil schools for viticulture, he trained among professionals from Zürich (including Urs Pircher) and the Graubünden, he worked in the canton of Vaud (Domaine Conne) and Vully (with Jean-Daniel Chervet) before settling in his hometown of Twann, where he now manages two and a half hectares of vines.

Gerald Besse and his wife Patricia created a winery twenty-five years ago, out of a garage for the first vintage, which has become a reference in Valais. Since then so much work has been accomplished! The estate owns 18 hectares of terraced vineyards. These terraces require an incredible amount of work. We are talking about nearly 1,500 annual working hours for a hectare of terraced vineyards against 500 or 600 hours for a mechanized vineyard in the plain. Gerald Besse and his team have become experts to at dismantling and reassembling these dry stone walls as soon as they show a little belly, which is a sign of weakening. The work is usually performed late in the fall and in the heart of the winter.

The Estate of the « Cru de l’Hôpital (Hospital) » is the property of the bourgeoisie of the nearby city of Murten (a very pretty medieval town worth visiting). The winemaker, Christian Vessaz, trained as oenologist in the Changins school of viticulture in western Switzerland. He is the technical director since he took office in 2002 after his graduation. Today, the “Cru de l’Hôpital” is the region’s leader for its wine quality, and not just for Vully but for the entire three lakes region (Murten, Neuchâtel and Biel) .