Fabio Masi, Director of Il Lago Restaurant and Head Sommelier at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, in Geneva.
By Marie Linder | April 30, 2015
Our young Italian-born sommelier’s first contact with wine was when his grandfather made him eat bread dipped into a glass of Barbera.
Those days seem far away. Fabio Masi gets his table and bar service diploma at the age of 18, followed by a hotel services technique diploma in Carlo Porta’s Training School in Milan. He completed his training with a sommelier class, which he graduated from with honors.
During his career, he worked in prestigious restaurants in England, France, the US and Italy. He worked in the most exceptional wine cellar in Italy, managing more than 150,000 bottles. That was in the 3 Michelin stars restaurant named Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence. After these years of intensive development, he chose Switzerland to continue his fabulous destiny, sharing his passion, enthusiasm and wise advices.
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.
Asked about his favourite grapes, Fabio Masi will name the Nebbiolo, perhaps in memory of his first wine encounter and a Riesling, a variety he loves for his righteousness and purity. In his words, it is a variety that knows where it is going, with a good aging potential.
This refined sommelier loves as much a Pinot or Chardonnay from Burgundy but will admit he is fond of a Neuchâtel Pinot Noir vinified by Jacques Tatasciore of Domaine de la Rochette in Cressier.
Very open, he will also be charmed by an Argentine Torrontes, a Japanese rice wine with citrus aromas and fresh yeast.
Since 2007 Fabio Masi perfectly manages the different bars and restaurants of the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues in Geneva, where he takes the time to listen to his customer’s and fulfil their desires. Fabio loves to pair great food and great wine, he will make your mouth water just describing how an asparagus risotto he proposes will be sublimated by a fresh and mineral Sancerre.
Fabio shares his busy work schedule between being the director and Head Sommelier at the restaurant Il Lago and tastings as well as intensive trainings in preparation for future sommelier competitions. But this amazing worker does not forget to spent time with his family, his wife who also leads an institution in Geneva and their little girl of 18 months.
Besides being a wine lover, Fabio likes mechanical watches and Italian shoes, he likes Saas-Fee, hike quietly in the mountains, relax, admire the scenery and even enjoy a beer when his schedule dizzying time allows.