Gastronomy and Wine Portal

Genius marketer? Virtuous technologist? Or simply a magician? The flying winemaker – who is he?

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One cannot believe it: On one day, this genius of oenology managed to “fly around” about one and a half dozen wineries. It was Émile Peynaud, the French professor of oenology, who “invented” the work of a wine consultant. He advised the iconic Bordeaux wineries such as Château Margaux, Château Leoville Las Cases, Château Lagrange and Château Pontet-Canet. Peynaud accounted for over 70 companies. And look at those. For example, in Italy, he worked with Antinori to create the first “Super Tuscan” Solaia and Tignanello wines, while in Chile he consulted Concha y Toro.

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Émile Peynaud, the French professor of oenology, “invented” the work of a wine consultant and advised iconic Bordeaux wineries.

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Peynaud entered winemaking as an ordinary teenage handyman, and during his nearly century-long life he managed to conquer incredible career heights. Émile Peynaud published his first scientific work at the age of twenty, and his book “The Taste of Wine”, published in 1980, became a bestseller. Famous winemakers in Italy, Spain, Greece, Mexico and Chile attribute the glory of many of their wines to the insights of Peynot.

He wrote more than 300 works on tasting and winemaking. By sampling young wine from barrels, Peynaud could tell its evolution for 20 years in advance.

It was Émile Peynaud who was one of the founders of the classification of wine aromas: He identified ten classes of aromas, creating the aromatic school of wines of the 20th century. Its basis is the influence of fermentation temperature on wine flavor. Now, according to his method, sommeliers are taught. “He has made such a huge contribution to the philosophy of French wine, that no other resident of France has managed to make,” said Hugh Johnson about him.

Photo: dimanoinmano.it, images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com

Émile Peynaud, the French professor of oenology, “invented” the work of a wine consultant and advised iconic Bordeaux wineries.

Drinks+ was honored to interview the organizer and judge of the legendary Judgement of Paris – Steven Spurrier.

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The legend who provoke lots of discussions, rumored and there are movies about him, gave an exclusive interview, telling how it was not like in the movies. Well, and, of course, what other shocks to expect from him in the wine world nearest future. In honor to the unique person, we decided to upgrade the interview genre – and here is the premiere: there is only one speaker 🙂 , and he answered not only the editor-in-chief of Drinks+ questions, but also Ukrainian wine market trendsetters’ questions.

Drinks+: How did it happen that when you were born in Great Britain, you moved to France at that time when these countries had a difficult relationship. You started selling French wines and teaching in a wine school in English ? Are you a rebel by nature? You‘re a maverick, aren‘t you?

Steven Spurrier: I wasn’t aware that France and GB had a bad relationship, but there has always been a love/hate relationship between the two countries. I moved to Provence the day of my marriage in January 1968 because I had bought a property in the Var which had a large ruin on it and had had plans drawn up to turn this into a fine country residence. This didn’t work out and that was the reason for moving to Paris in September 1970. As for being a maverick, I think I am more of a dreamer, but being a younger son – in the UK the elder son inherits the estate but has to live there! – and with some family money I knew from my ‘teens I could do what I wanted in life and, with all the ups and downs, this has been the case.

D+: At which stage of the preparation for the ‚Judgment of Paris‘ you had an idea of tasting not just American wines for US Independence Day, but comparatively blind with the best French wines, as a result – nine of the best tasters in France put California wines higher points comparing with the great French Châteaux, changing the global wine forever? What was your main goal? Were you annoyed with the French confidence in their unwavering primacy?

S.S.: American Independence Day is July 4th, the Paris Tasting was held on May 24th. Having opened the Académie du Vin in early 1973, we were bang in the middle of Paris and were the only place with a tasting room and the only people who spoke English, so of course visiting wine makers and wine critics from the US came to see us. The quality of the wines they brought impressed my American partner in the Académie du Vin and me so much that we decided to hold a tasting with the aim of getting this quality recognized outside California. It was not at all to beat the French, and from the 10 wines in each category we would have been happy with just two in the top five, as that would have brought the recognition we thought the wines deserved. Nobody was more surprised than me when the results were read out.

D+: Why did you decide to put in the ring the American wines against the only one country – the long-term leader – France? Not Italy – where you spent your childhood, not Australia or South Africa?

S.S.: I didn’t spend any part of my childhood in Italy and in 1976 the wines from Australia and South Africa (still closed because of Apartheid) were not known in Europe. My shop was in Paris and the wine we chose from California were Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons, so it was only logical that we chose the best of Burgundy and the best of Bordeaux to be tasted blind against them.

Pavel Mnuhin, Chef Sommelier Oysters Cava Bar, Co-founder of WINETIME ACADEMY, Founder of the tasting club Symposium: Do you still believe that California wines are bigger than Bordeaux and Burgundy?

S.S.: Of course the wines from California are bigger than those from Bordeaux and Burgundy, as the climate is much warmer. I think you mean “better” and while there are some very, very good wines from California, I am sure that today and for twenty or so years the wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux are finer. “Better” is in the eye of the beholder.

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I moved to Provence the day of my marriage in January 1968 because I had bought a property in the Var which had a
large ruin on it and had had plans drawn up to turn this into a fine country residence.

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D+: You should forgive us, but it’s interesting: how could it happen that such an experienced taster just not only set high marks for California wines, but put them because, apparently, they thought that they were French? You were also in the tasting team, but at that time you knew what the wines of Napa Valley are? But how to explain the puncture of the rest of the team – a real pro is able to recognize “terroir” and even vintage in a blind tasting – not that made a mistake in countries?

S.S.: I do not agree. Both my partner Patricia Gallagher and I tasted the wines, but our notes were not counted in the ranking. Anyway, although we knew which the wines were, we did not know in which order they were served. At the tasting the wines were served one by one and the glass removed, so there was no chance for the tasters to compare the 10 wines side by side, as would be the case today.

Only when a white or a red wine was particularly high in alcohol or low in acidity did the tastersrecognize it as Californian. You have to remember that in 1976, hardly any of the judges had tasted a wine from California before and this meant that if they gave the wine a high mark, they recognized its inherent quality.

Alexandra Voropai, Brand Мanager of the wine direction of the DDS+ company: It is probably difficult to surprise you as such an experienced person in the wine world… Was the winning of California wines at the Paris Tasting in 1976 a shock for you personally, or you were you sure of the result?

S.S.: As noted earlier, I did not expect a wine from California to “win” and, although in the long term it was beneficial from France, this is not the result I would have wanted in the city where I lived and worked. The result was a shock to me.

Alexandra Voropai: What other interesting paradoxes have you experienced in the wine world?

S.S.: Too many. The wine world is like a kaleidoscope: each time you look through it, the image is utterly different and can never be reproduced.

Bride Valley Vineyard Landscape

D+: For what purpose did you organized the “Paris Tasting” again in 2006: there is a version – to restore relations with French winemakers . Did you realize that California wines could get the same results again? Or you wanted to see the trend? What was the reaction of your French partners in 2006 after another fiasco?

S.S.: After the 1976 tasting, the Bordelais maintained that the result was false as their wines had been tasted too young. I held the tasting again in May 1986 in New York, just he red wines and instead of two California Cabernets coming in the top five, there were three. This caused me so many problems from Bordeaux that I refused to do a 20 year tasting and it was only at the request or Lord Rothschild from England and Robert Mondavi from Napa that I agreed to hold the tasting in 2006.

This proved the simple point that in the early 1970s the wines of Bordeaux were resting on their laurels and those from California were doing their damnedest to make the best possible wine. By the early 2000s this situation had been reversed, as a non-blind tasting of the wines from the 2000 vintage so clearly showed.

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Having opened the Académie du Vin in early 1973, we were bang in the middle of Paris and were the only place with a tasting room and the only people who spoke English, so of course visiting wine makers and wine critics from the US came to see us.

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Alexandra Voropai: When you tasted the same wines again in 2006, what surprised you in California and French wines? Samples taken for tasting were in your private collection or did you have to buy them from other collectors?

S.S.: All the California wines came from the producers themselves and all the Bordeaux were bought from the top merchants in London. For comparison, see above.

D+: Did you really call ‘Bottle shock’ ‘deeply insulting’ because of inaccuracies. What was wrong?

S.S.: The theme of this movie was that my shop in Paris was doing badly commercially, the top estates wouldn’t supply me with wine, and so I had to hold this tasting to gain publicity. The reality was completely opposite. This is why I have been quoted as describing the movie as “More Bullshit than Bottle Shock.”

D+: Can you say that your book ‘Wine – A Way Of Life’ – the story of your rich wine life – was an answer to the film in order to tell the truth about your personality?

S.S.: Not at all, it was simply an urge to tell my story in my own words.

D+: In the interview for our magazine, Fiona Morrison called your book ‘the one of the best books in the modern wine world.’ Who from your point view is your reader: a professional or a wine lover?

S.S.: I would hope it to be both, but it doesn’t need to be either. It is the story of someone’s life told in the most straightforward manner. If Fiona called the book important, this is probably because my wine life covers the most interesting five decades that the wine world has ever experienced.

D+: Your book has a lot of stories. Which one has become the most overshared for you, on which for a long time you have been thinking – to tell or not?

S.S.: Certainly the Judgement of Paris is the most told story and the nly one to merit a whole chapter to itself.

Alexandra Voropai: You probably has a wine collection? How many bottles do you have? What is the oldest wine in your collection? Are there mostly from France?

S.S.: Around 3000 bottles, 65% French, 15% Italian and a bit of Spanish, 15% New World and 5% Port. The oldest bottle is Taylor 1977 Port.

Inna Petrukh, Chief Sommelier of delicacy market Le Silpo, wine trainer: What was the most memorable wine for you? What wine would you like to taste in 5-10 years?

S.S.: Impossible to answer the first question. For the second, I would like to learn more about Sangiovese, particularly Chianti Classico.

Inna Petrukh: Wines of the nearest future – is it a trend of variety, region or style?

S.S.: A good wine has to have a sense of place, so it is region over verity.

Inna Petrukh: Due to the climate changes and taste preferences, which of the once outsider wines can take a leading position?

S.S.: Virginia in the US, British Columbia in Canada, and any cool climate, high altitude vineyards.

Oleg Kravchenko, Сhief Sommelier and Co-founder of Win Bar, Kyiv: Whether it will continue the confrontation between the New World and the Old World continue in the future?

S.S.: No, there is no reason for it to continue this way, but it probably always will. The most important thing the Paris Tasting gave to the world of wine was to create an Template where unknown wines of quality could be tasted blind against known wines of quality and if tasters themselves were or quality, they judgement would be respected.

Oleg Kravchenko: In which country of the New World, in youropinion, the terroir is most expressed?

S.S.: Probably Chile, for the huge difference between the vineyards from north (very hot) to the south (quite cold).

Oleg Kravchenko: Over the next 10 years, which new European winemaking countries will come out on top and with which varieties?

S.S.: Italy and Spain, but particularly Italy.

D+: Which of wine regions are the most undervalued in the world?

S.S.: South Africa for value as the Rand is very weak, Portugal for quality.

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The founding of the Académie du Vin was in response to a demand from my Anglo-Saxon clientele to learn more about wine. They way to satisfy this demand was to create a wine school, so it wasn’t difficult at all.

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D+: If there could be an opportunity to erase borders, in what place on the earth does an ideal vineyard exist, an ideal terroir, where can you create the perfect wine?

S.S.: As Remington Norman said on his introductory presentation to the Académie Internationale du Vin, “perhaps the greatest terroir in the world has not yet been discovered.’ This was 20 years ago. Terroirs are planted by humans who have to discover them in the first place.

Ivan Bachurin, President of Ukrainian Sommelier Association: Have you ever tasted Ukrainian wines and what are their prospects?

S.S.: Sadly not and I would like to.

D+: According to your observations, is there an obvious difference between European, Asian and American sommeliers? What about English and French?

S.S.: This is too complicated to address. Of course there are differences because people are different from each other.

D+: You founded L‘Académie du Vin, the first French private wine school. Probably it was not easy – do you remember how it was? What are the differences between your school and others?

S.S.: The founding of the Académie du Vin was in response to a demand from my Anglo-Saxon clientele to learn more about wine. They way to satisfy this demand was to create a wine school, so it wasn’t difficult at all.

D+: What was your work on the Christie’s Wine Course? Does this course exist today?

S.S.: I created the Christie’s Wine Course, based very much on the courses we gave in Paris, at the request of Michael Broadbent in 1982. Michael and I taught the classes, as well as many others, until 2012. Christie’s closed the school in 2015.

D+: And your projects in India – what did you do there and how are things going with this business now?

S.S.: I created a mail order company called The Wine Society of India and it lasted for about 7 years, getting up to 12000 members, but due to the difficulties of doing business in India, it never made a profit. The company was closed down about 5 years ago.

D+: You led the wine department at Harrods. What are the most outstanding moments that you remember, what was the most difficult, and why did you say goodbye to this department store?

S.S.: When I arrived in July 1991 the department was badly run with a dull selection of wines. When I was let go in January 1992 it was much better run with a very good selection of wines, but Harrods’ management and myself did not see eye to eye.

D+: Could you please remember how you started working with Decanter, who involved you and what attracted you in such work?

S.S.: I had already written some well-regarded books on wine in the 1980s, so when I returned to London from Paris in 1991, it was logical that Decanter would want to see me.

D+: Do you agree with the opinion that today people read less? What do you think about journalists, Instagram bloggers impact on the consumer of the opinions?

S.S.: People read less because they think they have less time, but actually their time is taken up on IPhones and so on. Anyone who gives out information on wine is useful, provided this information is factually true, but there are certainly too many opinions out there. My advice to anyone asking me how they should buy wine is to “find a wine merchant you can trust.” It is the same with information, better to stick with a reduced number of sources.

D+: Nowadays, in the wine world, the opinion of wine critics has a great importance, they affect the sale and consumption of wine. Do you think that their assessments are objective, taking into account their possible financial interest?

S.S.: If they have a possible financial interest, it is unlikely their opinions will be objective.

D+: Please, tell us about your “Three Ps rule”.

S.S.: Very simple: P1 is the place where the vineyards are, generally a good place to be; P2 is the person who owns the vineyard or makes the wine, generally a good person and if he/she is a bad person they will make bad wine. P1+P2=P3 which is the product, also generally good to drink.

D+: Is your relatively new own business, Bride Valley Vineyard, the next revolutionary step on the winning road? To make sparkling wine you have bought seedlings in a Burgundy and planted grapes in England, on the site of the for mer sheep pastures that belonged to your wife Bella. We should expect soon another blind Parisian tasting of sparkling England vs France?

S.S.: There have already been many tastings of English Sparkling Wine vs Champagne. On the same price level, the English wines do quite well, but at a higher price level the Champagnes do better.

D+: Eric de Rothschild commented about your new business: ‘Welcome to the Club’. What did he mean?

S.S.: That owning a vineyard is a world-wide club, but behind this remark was the knowledge that it is not an easy project.

D+: In your book, you talk about this project in a chapter called ‘Poacher turned Gamekeeper’. Decipher the meaning, please.

S.S.: The poacher steals the game that the gamekeeper is trying to bring up for the shooting season. It is a simple expression of joining the opposite side to that you have been on before.

D+: What happened with your wife’s farm, how easily she agreed to give pasture land to vineyards in a risky climate zone?

S.S.: Only 28 acres of the 200 acre farm are under vines, but the vineyards needs 50 acres overall for access. The rest still have sheep on them, but farmed by someone else.

D+: Some wineries specifically get sheep to destroy the seedlings in the vineyards – do you use the symbiosis of plants and animals?

S.S.: The sheep eat down the grass and weeds between the vines, that’s all.

D+: You call the dog Maud a member of the wine team. What responsibilities does it have?

S.S.: Dogs love running up and down in between the vines and every vineyard needs at least one dog.

D+: Could you please tell us what is your attitude to biodynamic and organic wines? Is this a marketing or a necessity, a new level of evolution of the wine world?

S.S.: I admire vineyards that are organic and especially those that are biodynamic, as they let the vine fend for itself.

D+: Your vines gave the first harvest in 2011, today your three wines are already on sale in different countries – from Northern Europe to Japan and Taiwan. Could you tell what is a strategy for sailing?

S.S.: I don’t really have a strategy, but imagine that a balance of 70/30 UK/Export would be good, and in the UK 70% into the Trade, 30% more local sales with a higher margin. We have opened a Tasting Room and a Wine & Art Room in the stable block behind our house, which is getting us some regular B2C clients.

D+: What channels do you use tо promote them through – exhibitions, contests, online platforms? In general, do your wines need additional advertising or your name is a guarantee of attention to them?

S.S.: I don’t advertise and have a minimal budget for competitions, my intention being to build the brand on the quality and of course this benefits from the recognition of my name.

D+: During your career, you have experienced several financial ups and downs. What are the most important rules for you in your work?

S.S.: Don’t give up.

D+: How do you think Brexit affects the development of the wine business?

S.S.: I don’t see how it can, except via the exchange rate.

D+: What other coups could the wine world wait from you?

S.S.: My new publishing venture, the Académie du Vin Library is very exciting indeed and will have a great impact on the world of wine books.

D+ blitz

D+: You sold wine, promoted wine, and produced wine. Which of these roles are the easiest for you?

S.S.: In all of these roles I was communicating about wine and that is what I am good at.

D+: Paris tasting – looking back, – what was the effect more: more fame or more problems?

S.S.: More and lasting fame.

D+: What is the biggest achievement in your life?

S.S.: Creating L‘Académie du Vin de Paris. Everything flowed from that. https://www.academievin.fr/

D+: The biggest failure?

S.S.: Trusting too many people.

D+: What else will you like to do if you would live in a world where there is no wine?

S.S.: This is not conceivable.

D+: Favorite wine that you could drink on weekdays and the most expensive – which you possibly drink for special occasions. If there is a favorite food pairing? (although, as we know, you think that wine is not for food, but for mood).

S.S.: I can’t answer this question as since I drink for mood not for food and my mood changes often, so does the wine, which always suits my mood at the time.

D+: What is your favorite movie?

S.S.: The real Judgement of Paris movie that was never made due to obstruction from Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, who proclaimed that “I don’t need this movie for my legacy.” It wasn’t just his legacy, it was California’s and the world’s.

Photo: oregonwinepress.com, FB Bride Valley Vineyard, aloksama.com, rumasingh.com, Decanter, academieduvinlibrary.com, wechianti.com

Drinks+ was honored to interview the organizer and judge of the legendary Judgement of Paris – Steven Spurrier.

The Best World Sommelier, the food pairings rockstar, wine expert, who’s video-tastings became super popular and the world’s winemakers are queuing up for it and known as a trendsetter for several generations of sommeliers gave an exclusive interview to Drinks+.

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Drinks+: As we are informed, you entered a culinary school at the age of 16. But also you were seriously devoted to the music – jazz. What impact the most on the final choice of the future profession?

Mr. Andreas Larsson: Simply because you’ll always find a job as a chef (that I started as), being an artist is extremely difficult in terms of making money.

D+: Remember your first sip of wine: at what age and what wine?

A.L.: My first sips of wine were simple semi sweet stuff to get drunk with my friends, but when I started to cook seriously I bought some French wine I read about in the cookbooks. This was basically Bordeaux and my first wow with a nice dish was probably a non-classified Pauillac.

D+: We read that during your trip to France in 1996, the wines of Burgundy and Rhone inspired your decision to give up gastronomy and devote yourself to the wine world. How did the realization of the new life path happen, and at what winery exactly did the understand everything?

A.L.: It didn’t really happen overnight, I still continued to work in the kitchen for a few years but I got kind of obsessed with wine and wanted to learn everything. I clearly remember tasting from the barrel with Marcel Guigal that was a wonderful experience.

D+: You studied at the Stockholm’s Restaurant Academy, and then you got a position at cellar-enoteca Vinkllaren Grappe. Was it easy to get hired at the place? With what main difficulties and insights have you met while working there?

A.L.: I got offered the job and it was a mind-blowing experience, very tough in terms of logistics as I consisted of carrying a lot of cases and bottles during the day and more of a regular service every night. However, this being a private club, meant that people mainly bought great stuff so night after night I had the chance of tasting most legendary wines that few young sommeliers get to taste these days.

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My first sips of wine were simple semi sweet stuff to get drunk with my friends, but when I started to cook seriously I bought some French wine I read about in the cookbooks.

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D+: Analyzing years from 2001 to 2007, your professional growth goes from “Best Sommelier in Sweden” to the titled recognition of the “World’s Best Sommelier”. To get the greatest “wine distinction”, is there a certain hierarchy pyramid: to be the BEST in the “country-region-continent-world”? Or something can be omitted (jumped over)?

A.L.: No clearly winning the world is the most difficult followed by the continental championships, Europe, which I’d say is the hardest competition, followed by Asia and the Americas.

D+: Try to remember the triumph at World’s Best Sommelier 2007. When did you realize that you can outdo anyone – had no peers? During which task exactly – can you describe your part of the contest in details? And how your life has changed: did you start to receive high-status invitations? Which ones?

A.L.: As far as concerns the final I was particularly well prepared, not only in terms of the knowledge, but especially mentally and physically. I did an attempt in 2004 and the competition took place just 4 months after the European Championship I just won, and the time to relax, restarting to prepare plus the everyday life and work struggle was simply too much.

When I went for my second attempt, I wanted to eliminate all risks, all stress and feel like Mr.Perfect! I recall the final as the candidate numbers were called out and we were four finalists (Gerard Basset, Paolo Basso, Eric Zwiebel and yours truly). I never ever had felt calmer and more collected thanks to my preparations. I knew I did everything as well as I could, no mistakes, being able to be relaxed, humorous, natural at the same time finishing all the tasks on time and pinpointing 12 out of 12 spirits for the tasting part.

Regarding how my life changed – of course, the first one or two years were quite hectic as I received invitations from everywhere to travel, taste and conduct various events all around the world. I always traveled a fair deal in wine regions but after the world championship I got to see new parts of the world in particular Asia, and since I’ve been back to Japan, China and Korea many time, and I adore it.

Regarding work you still need to work hard and structure your life to make a living and feeling well.

D+: You have been working at PM&Vänner Hotel restaurant, in Växjö, as a Chief Sommelier for 13 years: what are your key responsibilities and what attracts you to this particular place?

A.L.: Well as a matter of fact I gradually stepped back – 5 years ago I gave the main responsibility to my successor Ruben Sanz Ramiro who’s a great guy. I gradually stepped back from the everyday burdens, but I`m still feeling very attached to the place, and I advise the wine list, various events and tastings.

D+: The principle of wines by the glass: we heard that PM&Vänner guests can enjoy the most premium samples, in particular, a glass of Chateau D’Yquem. There are not so many places in the world, which can offer the same – is it a risk for a restaurant? What goals did you pursue, offering guests such luxury opportunity? And did your business partners (if any) understand you at once?

A.L.: It’s simple. If guests can enjoy these treasures to a fair price they will buy it! I always tried to combine high quality with a decent quality/price ratio, I would never be able to work with an overpriced wine list. Today when there’s Coravin, you don’t need to worry about those three glasses of Yquem being unsold or spoiled.

D+: Have you ever seen yourself as a founder of the projects like: a wine bar, a wine boutique or an educational school? If so, why it makes an appeal to you?

A.L.: Not really. I was never the entrepreneur type. I always prefer my independence and freedom. I make a decent living being my own consultant without the responsibilities of taking care of staff having economical responsibilities, etc. Nonetheless, if the opportunity arises, I’d still like to open something in Stockholm with my brother who’s an excellent chef.

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When I do a session, I work out in the morning, I drink coffee but don’t have breakfast or just a very light one, then I finish to taste before I have lunch. It’s impossible to come back in the afternoon slightly tired, not being able to do a good job.

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D+: In your opinion, does the profession of the sommelier (as it happens, for example, in the modeling business) have age restrictions? Or, maybe, do you consider the age and experience as an additional advantage?

A.L.: There’s no obstacles regarding age or between men or women in this business. I’d say what young people lack in experience they compensate in having the energy and will to work long hours. In my opinion, to be a fully fledged sommelier, you have to work full time with wine for 5-6 years before everything is there.

You don’t need to be a profound expert of each and every region to make a good list and serve good wines. However, after more time we all develop various areas of expertise and become more profound in various areas. My knowledge is much higher today than 10 years ago even if I somewhat forgot some of the less interesting things I needed to know for the competitions. I don’t really care about rootstock selections, enzymes or being able to name all the appellations of Romania today.

D+: How do you see your future?

A.L.: I take the day as it comes and I feel good not having the pressure of having to fulfill projects on a limited time scale.

D+: How did the idea & vision of commented well-known video-tastings (that became highly desired by the top world wineries) come out?

A.L.: It was the idea of my business partner – I would never like to watch myself on vide – but there was obviously a demand for new communication and instead of putting a gold sticker on a bottle the best-rated wines can show a commented video instead.

With regard to applications and schedule, as well as conditions – these questions anyone can ask Anthony (ac@syrahmedias.com): he rather does all of the planning so I can solely focus on the tasting and not the logistical or commercial aspects.

D+: Do you remember, what was the first “video-tasted” wine sample? And have you ever refused to taste because you felt the lack of quality?

A.L.: Yes, I don’t comment wines that score less than 85 points – and then even scores like 86-88 can be very good wines, like a Côtes du Rhône with charm and character with a slight rustic touch for 5 Euros.

D+: Have your tastes changed in the last 10 years? What wine do you prefer personally?

A.L.: If I look in my cellar, the vast majority is still the cornerstones of Champagne, German Riesling, Austria, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône followed by Piemonte, Tuscany and Spain.

Nonetheless, I’m always open to try new things in wine bars and restaurants and buying new stuff in wine shops but what I buy to age remains very classic.

D+: You often give comments about the wines of the New World, such as Chile, Argentina, USA… and Old World: Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria… Do you have your own TOP-3 of Favorites: country/region/vintage, the manufacturers?

A.L.: Again, I think a good taster has to be equally apt to judge a diehard classic Cornas next to a glossy Napa Cab, next to a funky orange version, next to a 30 year old Barolo.

D+: What do you think about Greek wines? Concerning the changes of tastes, nowadays people started to discuss the renaissance period of Greek wines. Can you predict other wine-countries that might become highly demanded in the coming years?

A.L.: I’m ashamed to say I haven’t been back to Greece for 10 years so if anyone would invite me to tour the vineyards I’d say YES!

However I did taste quite a few wines over the last years and having the strength of the indigenous varieties and long traditions paired with today’s technology of making purer, fresher and cleaner has certainly given the Greek wine landscape a new boost! I also see the same thing happening in central and east Europe as well as the cradle of wine around the Black Sea.

D+: How do you feel about spirits? What do you prefer to drink? Once tequila and absinthe were trendy, later on, vodka took the lead. What is your forecast – what spirits will be trendy among fashionable bars menu in 2019?

A.L.: Gin is certainly booming. I even make my own blend with the talented Simon Thompson, this one gets a finish in Sauternes casks. I was never much of a cocktail or drinks guy, except for G&T. I always loved Cognac, Armagnac and Japanese whisky. But I love to taste and discover everything.

D+: They say that wine is not only a terroir, aroma & taste but the concept of “wine affect” is also included: the summary of the atmosphere, mood, and environment. How to protect yourself from the influence that is caused by minor factors in order to evaluate wine properly? How do you prepare for your video tasting performance?

A.L.: By always tasting in the same environment in the same glasses, same temperature that solves a lot. When I do a session, I work out in the morning, I drink coffee but don’t have breakfast or just a very light one, then I finish to taste before I have lunch. It’s impossible to come back in the afternoon slightly tired, not being able to do a good job.

D+: In your opinion, “honest” tastings always blind ones? Why, and what attracts you due these tastings? Do you still have a feeling of “challenge” while preparing to conduct them?

A.L.: It’s first and foremost honesty towards myself. I know how much a label can influence you. I’m not saying blind tasting is the only solution but to me a very good one, however tasting some of the great wines of the world (like I just did with Bordeaux 2016), where you mostly have to visit the Chвteau to taste.

D+: Every two years, as a part of Asian Airlines cooperation, you, along with two other specialists, taste blindly about 300 samples to create a wine menu for passengers of the first and business classes. What task was set on you? What wines are you searching for and on what basis are you relying to form a menu?

A.L.: I left this project last year, but I’d love to find a new airline to consult. Being a frequent traveler myself, I know the importance of eating and drinking well at 30000 feet. The tastings were always carried out blind and the main goal was to find wines offering pleasure at the time of tasting, age worthy wines or other examples with high acids, rough tannins are not suitable for drinking in the air.

D+: You are known not only as a famous sommelier & influential wine critic but also as a lecturer and speaker. What kind of educational projects, their topics and audiences interests you?

A.L.: I like to speak to everyone, sometimes to well initiated wine lovers doing a vertical of Cheval Blanc to the basic ABC or wine tasting to new beginners. I do quite a lot of food and wine pairing trainings with my chef brother, were we educate restaurant on the basics of tasting, flavours, pairing and also doing cooking to various wine styles, that’s a very rewarding one. Then I did tastings on everything: from mustard to mineral water, to sake, scotch, and whisky.

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I’ve been to most wine regions of the world, still not to New Zeeland, nor Madeira – they are certainly on my bucket list, however there’s always a small village or appellation and exciting wines to discover. Today there’s 40 commercial wineries in southern Sweden but I have never been there either…

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D+: How often do you travel during the year and for what purposes? What are the most exciting during the wine trips?

A.L.: I travel more than I stay home – like 200+ days. The most exciting thing is always to see new places, tasting new wines and above all – the connection to the people behind the wines, and the culture that comes with it.

I’ve been to most wine regions of the world, still not to New Zeeland, nor Madeira – they are certainly on my bucket list, however there’s always a small village or appellation and exciting wines to discover. Today there’s 40 commercial wineries in southern Sweden but I have never been there either…

D+: Andreas Larsson`s wine trends forecasts: what types, styles, flavors, tastes, barrel, aging… of wines will be preferable?

A.L.: Always difficult to predict, people will always say fresher wines, less oak. But I think the bold and broad styles will always remain, however I like the diversity of the wine world just like food sometimes. I adore a sashimi or fresh oysters with a light crisp low alcohol Riesling, sometime that plush and powerful Napa Cab at 15 % fits like a glove with the braised veal shank.

D+: What is the dream of a successful, accomplished, world-famous icon – Andreas Larsson?

A.L.: Going on eating, drinking, tasting being happy and healthy.

D+: small quiz:

D+: Corkscrew – is a main weapon of the sommelier. What brand do you trust?

A.L.: Laguiole (there’s actually mine – an Andreas Larsson design with Swedish reindeer horns).

D+: A favorite glass is…

A.L.: Riedel.

D+: The handbook of the sommelier is…

A.L.: I don’t think there’s one complete book, my dear friend Jean Vincent Ridon – a French guy in South Africa, is working on an extensive guide to include all elements of service with all wine styles and other beverages. I took part in some of the chapters, and I’m looking forward to read it.

D+: It is very easy to find a decent wine up to $10 today. Do you agree with this opinion?

A.L.: Indeed, some markets takes and mark ups make wine more expensive. But in France, for instance, you can find excellent wines at these prices.

D+: What kind of sport might be compared to the sommelier profession (are there any scandals, intrigues, investigations)?

A.L.: Not more than any other businesses – there will always be a few guys having a problem with the alcohol, some people stealing fine bottles from restaurants… and to a certain extent faking wines like we’ve seen a lot of recently. However, I try to be positive and think that the vast majority of people are nice, hard working and honest.

D+: Are you a classic type: red wine to meat, and whites with cheeses, fish or desserts? Or you are an avant-garde food pairings type? Tell us two or three favorite pairings for an example.

A.L.: I always think pairings are more dynamic with white wines, I love for instance a Swedish Gravlax with the sweet-sour mustard sauce paired with a Riesling Kabinett from Mosel. I love a fresh Manzanilla with sushi of sea urchin. With reds it’s easier, you don’t really need to be a genius to find a tasty full bodied red with your grilled entrecote.

D+: To be a sommelier – is challenging for your health.

A.L.: Always the risk of eating and drinking too much, we certainly need to exercise both for the brain and the body.

D+: If you agree, then how do you keep fit (what is your day-by-day routine – when do you wake up, any diet, sport, and bedtime)?

A.L.: On a perfect day I always start at the gym or a run/power walk but in reality, trying to do this with a hectic schedule is not always possible.

Photos: Andreas Larsson, Mackmyra, Black & Co, arkitektbolaget.se 

Andreas Larsson, the Best World Sommelier, the food pairings rockstar, wine expert, whose video-tastings became super popular, gave an exclusive interview to Drinks+.

Yes, perhaps, with the light hand of the Italian oenologist, a new variety of wine consultants will really appear soon.

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“Recently, I decided that I would no longer fly by plane, I would travel by sea. In order not to be called a “flying winemaker”. Let them call me “sailing!” said Antonini.

He was born near Florence, and gained his first winemaking experience at the Poggiotondo winery located in the Chianti region and owned by his family. Today, Alberto and his wife Alessandra work at the family winery. Alberto’s education is confirmed by a doctorate degree in agricultural research – the University of Florence and oenology degrees from Bordeaux and the University of California. After training, he worked as an assistant to the chief winemaker of Marchesi de Frescobaldi in Tuscany, the chief winemaker of the Antinori family and at Col d’Orcia.

When consulting a particular farm, the oenologist emphasizes that he does not bring his own style, but only experience and knowledge. “I work in different parts of the world, I like to learn new places, varieties, conditions. But I just give people my vision of how wines can be given a greater expression of place. My job is not to put my own “brand” on wine, this is not what I do. I’m a guy with a “screwdriver” who can loosen the mount or, conversely, tighten it harder”.

Alberto Antonini has a difficult character: he criticizes French consultants, believing that they make everyone “all-French”, instead of identifying and emphasizing the characteristics of each individual country, each individual winery.

Over many years, Alberto Antonini has consulted a large number of wineries in different countries: E&J Gallo Winery, Seghesio, Altos Las Hormigas, Bodega Melipal, Al Este Bodega y Viñedos, Bodegas Nieto Senetiner, Concha y Toro, and many more.

Alberto set the course for creating an elegant version of Malbec as opposed to the traditional one, which has a high tannin content due to long maceration with the pulp at high temperature, and applied the method of prolonged cold maceration, due to which the aroma of the wine is not “cooked”. Altogether Alberto Antonini advises over 10 wine companies in Argentina. He also oversees Zorah, onof the most important projects of modern winemaking in Armenia.

The wine consultant reproaches the producers of high-quality wines for the use of oak barrels and encourages consideration of an alternative for Bordeaux wines. “Wine doesn’t need oak; wine needs micro-oxygenation. You should not add anything to the wine in terms of taste. If you have good grapes, then nothing more is needed”.

In addition to good grapes, Antonini calls another engine of success: passion – it allows you to do business perfectly, and then the market itself comes to the winemaker.

In 2013, The Drink Business magazine included Alberto Antonini in the top five best wine consultants of the world, and in 2015 he became one of the top five wine consultants according to Decanter.

Photo: pinterest.com, catadores.net, alchetron.com

Yes, perhaps, with the light hand of the Italian oenologist, a new variety of wine consultants will really appear soon.

Nataliia Burlachenko, brand ambassador Vinos de La Luz, sommelier, spoke to Pablo Navarrete, the chief winemaker of the Argentinean Vinos de La Luz Mendoza, the author of ILUMINADO – “The Best Wine of Argentina 2019”, among the TOP-50 of the best wines in the world according to Decanter.

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Nataliya Burlachenko: Pablo, how did you become an oenologist?

Pablo Navarrete: In childhood I spent every summer in the vineyards of Mendoza, in its eastern part, in the estate of my uncle Jose Figaro. And soon, as a child, I began to wonder how grapes turn into wine? What kind of process is this? And from that exactly moment my deep and mutual love for wine and winemaking was born.

N.B.: How did you start your collaboration with Vinos de La Luz?

P.N.: A very entertaining story. After graduating from the Juan Agustin Maza University in Mendoza, I worked at various wineries in different parts of Mendoza, but I always most of all liked the grapes from Valle de Uco, so I looked in that direction. In 2012, someone told me that the Vinos de La Luz winery is looking for an oenologist. I turned out to be this oenologist (laughs).

N.B.: Undoubtedly, you are talented! Being still so young, how did you manage to create one of the best wines in the world and the best wine of Argentina 2019 Iluminado Malbec 2015 Paraje Altamira?

P.N.: Iluminado Malbec 2015 Paraje Altamira is the wine that every winemaker wants to create in his life. In fact, it is an amalgam of such components as the best terroir, the best grapes, the unique microclimate of Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, as well as the vision and mission of Vinos de La Luz. These were the set of factors that created Iluminado Malbec 2015 Paraje Altamira, which in 2019 was included into the best 50 wines of the world according to Decanter. This wine is an example of what Argentina can create with the help of its king Malbec.

N.B.: You recently finished harvest 2020. Is there any peculiarity of this year’s harvest and which is your forecast?

P.N.: From the very birth of the bunch, due to weather conditions, namely, low temperatures at the time of berry formation, some of them stopped growing, while others, on the contrary, absorbed more strength and energy for growth. So the number of grapes was limited in a natural way. Making the following pruning, we received not just high-quality grapes, but grapes of the highest quality. Also, despite all the fears associated with the pandemic, we were able to pick the berries exactly at the moment when the terroir was fully represented in the berry. The combination of all these elements allows us to believe that the harvest 2020 is unique and promises to please us with great wines.

N.B.: Pablo, do you have any plans to create something new?

P.N.: Of the wine releases that will soon see the light are monovariety Malbec from various microterroirs, that is, Malbec from Gualtallary, Malbec from Vista Flores and Malbec from Pampa El Cepillo. With this project, we want to convey the uniqueness of each parcel, each microterroir as much as possible. We want to show how one Malbec variety with the same genetics can sound different in different microzones of the same region, and convey the taste of each microsites with the help of our famous Malbec. These terroirs are so unique that I can determine which wine is from which terroir in a blind tasting. The uniqueness consists of four components: the soil, the microclimate, the altitude and the influence of man, who makes the assemblage of these components.

N.B.: Sounds grandiose! I’d like to try it as soon as possible!

P.N.: You can already try our other new creation, which can be found on the shelf and, which is very highly appreciated by our customers – it’s a blend of terroir. Traditionally, if we’re talking about blend, we mean blend of the varieties of grapes, and if the wine is of the same variety, what kind of blend is it, you can ask? We created our own concept, namely took Malbec with the microterroir Altamira, Vista Flores and Gualtaliary and combined into a single ensemble, so that one terroir complements another, so that Malbec from one parcel helps to reveal the aroma and potential of Malbec from another parcel. You can enjoy the results of our laborious work now.

N.B.: We touched on the topic of terroirs, human influence and the microclimate, could you tell us more about the so-called “curtains” that winemakers began to build on their vineyards in Pampa El Cepillo microzone?

P.N.: To answer your question, first of all, I would like to talk a little bit about Pampa El Cepillo. Pampa El Cepillo is the newest IG adopted in Argentina, it is a unique territory in the extreme south of Mendoza region, the most affected by Patagonia – the coldest part of Argentina. This means that cold cyclones from Patagonia can come at any moment of the plant development and growth, at the beginning, when the berry is born, in the middle of growing or at the moment when the berry is ready for harvest and, unfortunately, damage cannot be avoided. In order to decrease the influence of a cold cyclone, and we call it “cold shock”, because the temperature drops only for a few hours, producers and winemakers use various protection methods.

There was a time when winemakers used combustible materials, made fire in the vineyards, thereby creating a protective warm dome that more or less protected plants, but at the same time polluted the air in the area a lot. And now, when the humanity is thinking permanently about the environment, this method has been abandoned in favor of more effective, environmentally friendly and less expensive. Among the new ways of protection, which, incidentally, is also not very cheap, are the so-called “curtains” 5-6 meters high, which are mounted on poles with a taut wire.

The “curtain” itself is made of dense black oilcloth material, it is hinged at the top, so it can be stretched and removed if necessary. This «curtain» is always located facing south, to stop just those cold streams of air that come from Patagonia.

N.B.: It seems unbelievable to me that among the hectares of vineyards you can see black “curtains”. How common is this method?

P.N.: This is one of the options for protecting the vineyard. Micro irrigation is more common, it is used in the vineyards, which are located below. This system requires large reserves of water and communications through which irrigation is carried out. This is now the most reliable, but quite expensive way to protect against cold cyclones from the Andes and Patagonia.

N.B.: Pablo, I want to thank you for the interview and wish you and Vinos de La Luz more amazing wines, creative ideas and victories!

The chief winemaker of the Argentinean Vinos de La Luz Mendoza told about mutual love for wine and winemaking, job of oenologist and ILUMINADO – “The Best Wine of Argentina 2019”.

Drinks+ editor had a talk with Dany Rolland. It turned out that the wife of the most popular “flying” consultant Michel Rolland is a brilliant oenologist herself, and at the same time, she epitomizes the French glamour and feminine charm. We also figured out that the Rolland couple consider Argentina their second home.

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Drinks+: Mrs. Rolland, you and Monsieur Rolland are not just oenologists and consultants, but also owners wineries in France, Argentina, South Africa and other countries. What about this passion for wine? Is it a family tradition?

Dany Rolland: My family was not in the wine business and I met during my studies my future husband Michel whose parents were owners of vines for 7 generations. As oenologists, we started in buying a laboratory, one of the most renowned of Gironde. Besides, it was 1983 when we met Robert Parker. And also during the 80th, one of the first consulting propositions outside for Michel was Argentina.

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D+: It’s interesting how Michel Rolland gets such proposals?

D.R.: Well, it was very simple then and a little funny, too. In 1988, Michel received a call from a winery owner in Argentina. The situation was comical, because he hardly spoke French, and neither he, nor we spoke English well enough. We only realized that his name was Arnaldo Etchart and he called us to help him to make his wines better or different wines, because he wanted to sell in the American market. We were not sure of the seriousness of this proposal, but decided: even if it not transformed into a serious work, it will be a wonderful journey to the land of tango! Moreover, the trip was planned for February. It should be pointed out that in Argentina, it was the summer period.

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D+: Isn’t it risky to fly to the other end of the earth … Must be a real adventure!

D.R.: Right you are! The story was challenging and full of surprises. When we flew to Buenos Aires and got to the booked hotel, we were faced with the laconic note: “At the lobby at 8 am”. Thereupon, several hours later, we met with the brothers Etchart. No one could speak French. Though, we were lucky that their friend could help with the translation. Well, next day, we had to fly to the north-west, to Salta, and after that, to get to Jujuy.

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D+: What was your first impression of Argentina?

D.R.: We were struck by almost cosmic landscapes, the canyon with its multi-colored rocks – all seven colors. It was an absolutely different world: the purest air, mountain peaks, weather-beaten and smiling faces of Indians, and lamas walking at the foot of the Andes. Cactuses… and a lot of light! Finally, Bodega Etchart showed up, where we were greeted by the amazing – big and loving – Etchart family. Michel and I still remember the empanadas of Mina, which we then tasted accompanied by a glass of white wine with an almost Alsatian, but exotic nose. At the time, we discovered Torrontes*! This is how our Argentinean adventure began as well as a long friendship with the Etcharts family that will go beyond consultations to the family-owned wine cellar.

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D+: Talking about friendship. Tell us, please, about your friendship with Catherine Péré-Vergé – you were working together not only in Pomerol, but in Argentina, too.

D.R.: Catherine Péré-Vergé was for us, Michel and I and our daughters, a wonderful friend. We were very close when she decided to invest in Pomerol starting with Ch. Montviel. We have also a personnel partnership: at this time she was a co-owner of Cristallerie d’Arques, and on the market, there was no glass for tasting and drinking that was really acceptable. We decided to create one: I tasted a lot of wines in different glasses and organized a “cahier des charges” to design one with all the qualities we were expecting. And her company made the glass called Oenologue”. It was 25 years ago. After we were also very close when we decided to invest in Argentina and she was the first to say Ok, Go! She was the first one who believed in our Argentinean project. Incidentally, the first harvests of Val de Flores, as well as Clos de los Siete, until 2009, were vinified by us at the winery owned by Catherine Péré-Vergé, at Montéviejo wine cellar, due to the oenologist Marcelo Pelleriti.

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D+: You have founded in Argentina a number of outstanding wineries, some of them with partners. How did you select vineyards?

D.R.: We just “found in love” with some places, people or terroir during all of our travels. We started with Argentina, and now it’s our unique best project. We have made personnel wines in South-Africa and Spain with joint ventures, but now we focus, mainly, on Argentinean projects for outside.

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D+: Tell us about them, please.

D.R.: Perhaps, I will start with an outstanding project – Yacochuya, and then, move to San Pedro de Yacochuya, created along with the Etchart family in Salta, where our love for Argentina began. These wines are produced in small numbers from old Malbec vines (some date back to 1915) and a small proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yacochuya vineyard is considered to be one of the highest-mountain grown in the world. This is an extremely beautiful place a few hundred kilometers south of the Tropic of Capricorn, at an altitude of 2035 meters. It has a specific climate with alternating hot days (36 ºC) and cool nights (12 ºC). The wine label depicts a cactus typical of the local landscape, and Michel’s signature.

The more time Michel and I spent in this country, the more we wanted to understand its terroirs, to work on new wines. And even live there … And in the end Bodega Rolland was founded as well as one of the most prestigious brands – Clos de los Siete. In this project, we have united several winemaking families from Bordeaux and 850 hectares of vineyards. The estate is collectively managed and divided into separate sections, but each contributes to the development of the top-of-the-line wine – Clos de los Siete.

In addition, each estate’s section independently produces its own wines under its own name in its own wine cellar. Michel advises all of our partners. The first vines in these vineyards were planted in 1999, and the first release of Clos de los Siete took place in 2002. As a part of the collective project, we founded Mariflor brand. As Michel says, Mariflor is “place, wine and concept” at the same time. Mariflor vineyard, located next to the area of Val de Flores, already familiar to us, got its name (literally, “Maria Flower”) from the name of the area, and in honor of our daughter Marie. Not only does she help us in winemaking, but also enjoys photography as her hobby. I hope your readers can appreciate them and understand due to them, why we fell in love with Argentina!

The vineyard is located at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level. An area of almost 100 hectares, of which 60 hectares are planted with Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. Since 2002, we have been growing Pinot Noir on 4 hectares of Mariflor. Mixed soils – sand and clay on a rocky layer, the exposure is mainly east. Irrigation is strictly controlled, using only the purest mineral water from the Andes mountain springs. 2 ha of Mariflor: Sauvignon Blanc, planted in 2003. The first wine from Mariflor vines, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, was produced in 2006. A number of fine wines are produced here, including Mariflor Pinot Noir and the vintage Mariflor Camille, named after our first granddaughter. Regarding Top Wines of Mariflor, in honor of each of our grandchildren – not only Camille, but also the twins Arthur and Théo, Raphaël and the youngest Giulia a special cuvée has been created.From different grape varieties, but with the same high quality, 3000 bottles per year each. Bodega Rolland produces the wines: Mariflor, Val de Flores, and Yacochuya but in joinvinture and less production.

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D+: What is your favorite variety in principle – if you look globally, without reference to France?

D.R.: My favorite variety is Merlot. But I love also Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux and Syrah from East France, and so many good wines with so many varieties, as Malbec in Argentina!

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D+: Do you work with so-called natural wines, wild yeast? What do you think about organics and biodynamics?

D.R.: Personally, right now, we are in organic farming for our Val de Flores in Argentina. And with wild yeasts everywhere, except if a climatic or special problem require to add others.

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D+: You and Mr. Michel Rolland are known as the perfect “wine couple.” Common interests in oenology simplify life together or complicate?

D.R.: We have been working together for 47 years… Difficult to say it is or was complicate. Each of us has his own personality but we are very complementary.

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D+: You are a shareholder of Rolland Collection Limited. How is this business developing now? How are your wines priced and by whom?

D.R.: Rolland Collection is a family business and it’s our oldest daughter: Stéphanie, who is in charge of management. But all fares are discussed and fixed regarding the cost of the production and the situation of the market for all wineries.

D+: What wines do you make today?

D.R.: We try to understand all the terroirs in all altitudes and latitudes and to adapt, our knowledge with a good viticulture.

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D+: We would like to thank you for answering all our countless questions and for your time!

*Torrontes. A rare local variety for the New World, where most of the vines were brought from Europe. It was believed to have grown here even before the arrival of the Spanish missionaries, but research has shown that Torrontes is a cross-pollinated variety between Muscat variety and Mission red variety brought to the continent by Cortez. In the aroma, flowers, exotic, tropical fruits, and spices prevail. “Sweet in the beginning and bitter in the end – just like life itself” – this is how Argentinean winemakers describe it themselves. The best organoleptic properties are ue to the Torrontes vines grown in the high-altitude vineyards of Salta.

Drinks+ editor had a talk with the wife of the most popular “flying” consultant Michel Rolland and a brilliant oenologist herself.

Our exclusive interview with Silvio Denz – the owner of The House of Lalique and several French and Spanish stellar wineries.

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D+: Last year The House of Lalique celebrated 130th anniversary. What events or releases were held in honor to this special occasion?

Silvio Denz: For the 130th anniversary of Lalique that we celebrated in 2018, we have created several pieces in limited edition of 130 pieces on the theme of the swallow, iconic motif of the brand: the vase ‘‘Hirondelles’’ stamped with gold, the fragrance Mon Premier Cristal Hirondelles and a scented candle in sapphire blue crystal and enamelled platinum. I have always considered Lalique to be a timeless lifestyle brand, and since I bought the company in 2008, I wanted to grow the ‘‘art of living’’ positioning by marrying the French style of living well, savoir-vivre, with the French style of doing things well, savoir-faire, through six core pillars: decorative items, fragrances, jewels, interior design, art and now hospitality, which has been a new business area for Lalique since 2015. We highlight Lalique’s values, these being our know-how, our quest of excellence and also the rich artistic heritage that we inherited from Rene Lalique and that inspires us in our contemporary collections.

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I have always considered Lalique to be a timeless lifestyle brand, and since I bought the company in 2008, I wanted to grow the ‘‘art of living’’ positioning by marrying the French style of living well, savoir-vivre, with the French style of doing things well, savoir-faire, through six core pillars: decorative items, fragrances, jewels, interior design, art and now hospitality, which has been a new business area for Lalique since 2015.

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D+: Speaking of Lalique, of course, we cannot overlook the 2013 vintage of your Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, which had a special bottle with one of Rene Lalique’s exquisite engravings – Femme et Raisins. Is it true that this is a fragment of the famous panel ’’Figures and Vines’’ in a dining car of the Cote d’Azur – Pullman Express train? Are you planning anything else in a similar vein for releases created in your chateau?

S.D.: Yes indeed, Rene created in 1929 the ‘‘Femme et Raisins’’ (the woman and the grapes) glass panels for the dining car of the legendary Cote d’Azur Pullmann Express train, a creation inspired by themes dear to the heart of this Art Nouveau master. And we decided to feature this pattern on the Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey bottle since the 2013 vintage. Also unique crystal pieces were created especially for Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, combining the worlds of wine and crystal: vine leaf, Semillon grape, cork, plug, case of wine, a spectacular jeroboam and the delicate drops of gold, whose colour recalls molten crystal and sweet wine. And last but not least, a unique Lalique barrel, in glass and crystal, which has leather straps and is engraved with the famous ‘‘Femme et Raisins’’ motif created by Rene Lalique in 1928. The finesse of crystal pays homage to the golden wine.

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D+: Sommeliers recommend serving Sauterne Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2013 with an appropriate accompaniment: scallops, lobsters, high quality cheeses. What are some of your favorite food pairings for this wine?

S.D.: 2013 was an exceptional vintage for Sauternes and Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2013 is no exception. It is an explosion of exotic fruits with a hint of caramel. I think this wine is perfect to enjoy with a dish called “Emotion of Lafaurie” and created by Jerome Schilling, chef of the Restaurant LALIQUE at Chateau LafauriePeyraguey. It consists of qince, Salers cheese, coppercoloured angelica jus and red honeycomb – it does great justice to the depth and elegance of this vintage. Two things you will only find in a Premier Grand Cru Classe.

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And last but not least, a unique Lalique barrel, in glass and crystal, which has leather straps and is engraved with the famous ‘‘Femme et Raisins’’ motif created by Rene Lalique in 1928. The finesse of crystal pays homage to the golden wine.

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D+: In 2011, in Wingen-sur-Moder, at a villa that once belonged to Rene Lalique, the Museum Lalique was opened. Among the many exhibited masterpieces there are bottles created by Rene Lalique, whose father, as we know, was a wine merchant dealing such brands as Macallan, Hardy, Patron. Do you have any plans to continue the production of premium bottles for other alcohol brands? If so, can you tell us more about the design and brands?

S.D.: Each year we launch unique or limited edition bottles, in collaboration with high end spirits brands. For over 15 years, Lalique has designed and produced spectacular decanters for The Macallan famous whisky, achieving several record prices at auctions in Hong Kong and New York. Recently, we created a collection of six decanters for Niepoort Port wine house. The “Niepoort in Lalique 1863” decanter, the first one of the series, was sold at auction in Hong Kong in November 2018 at the price of HK $992,000 (approximately EUR 111,000), which achieved a world record of the most expensive Port wine sold at auction. Lalique will indeed continue to develop partnerships with high end brands with a view to create unusual bottles, thus benefitting from the expertise and savoir-faire of the two partners working together.

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D+: In 2015 Lalique S.A. announced an expansion of its activity for a hotel food sector and hospitality sector. It can be assumed that the company had embodied its ideals at the Villa in Wingen-sur-Moder, where a luxury hotel with a gastronomic restaurant is run under the auspices of the chef Jean-Georges Klein. Could you please tell us more about this project?

S.D.: With the Villa built by Rene Lalique in 1920, I wanted to take the home of Rene Lalique to honour him and his work while at the same time, create a living Showroom for the Lalique brand today, highlighting the interior design, architecture, decorative objects and art categories. Therefore we renovated the Villa which has reinvented itself and taken on a new lease of life since its opening in September 2015. It has become the sumptuous setting for a five-star hotel with six suites and a gourmet restaurant, which was awarded two stars by the Guide Michelin three months only after its opening, thanks to the immense talent and involvement of Chef Jean-Georges Klein and his team. And the same year Villa Rene Lalique became a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux collection.

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D+: The villa storage has a collection of 12,000 bottles. Could you name five of them which, in your opinion, are the most valuable, and what is their price today? And can you suggest to those who are going to have dinner at the restaurant some of the most interesting samples from its wine list (perhaps in pairing with the most outstanding Chef’s dish)?

S.D.: Here are five of the ‘‘treasures’’ of the restaurant menu: – Sauternes Chateau d’Yquem 1865 at 28,000 Euros – Sauternes Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey 1920 at 1,800 Euros – Alsace Gewurztraminer Clos Zisser Klipfel 1943 at 900 Euros – Romanee Conti 1989 at 10,000 Euros – Napa Valley Screaming Eagle 1992 at 10,000 Euros. And here are three wines, among others, that are interesting in food and wine pairing: Sancerre Grand Chemarin Vincent Pinard 2014 a EUR 120 perfectly goes with the following dish: char slowly candied, almonds, vinaigrette of buds of spruce. Saint Emilion GC Chateau Peby Faugeres 2000 with the roe deer of our regions, sun artichokes cheesecake, pear, reduced jus with an infusion of fermented lemon. Alsace Grand Cru Brand Riesling Josmeyer 2014 with the gold caviar, seriola tartare with creamy celeriac, buckwheat blinis.

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D+: Story goes that your passion for wine takes roots from the wine companies that you owned. Which winery you bought first and under what circumstances? Why did you decide then that it was the very hour and the very object? What is it`s fate?

S.D.: In the mid-1990s, I diversified my activities and became a co-founder of ‘Les Grands Vins Wermuth’, a wine merchant in Zurich. Following a demerger, one part of this company became ‘Denz Weine’. Wanting to get involved in wine production, in 1998 I formed a partnership to acquire ‘Clos d’Agon’. Responsibility for running this Costa Brava vineyard was entrusted to winemaker Peter Sisseck.

In 2005, I invested in Bordeaux by acquiring the estates Chateau Faugeres, Chateau Peby Faugeres and Chateau Cap de Faugeres. My passion then took me to Italy. In partnership with Fabio Chiarelotto, since 2007 I have been making four wines as powerful as they are precise at Montepeloso estate in the Tuscan valleys. In 2010, Chateau Rocheyron in Saint-Emilion – purchased with Peter Sisseck – joined Vignobles Silvio Denz. Four years later, Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey – one of the oldest estates in Sauternes – rounded off this collection of vineyards as part of the company Art & Terroir.

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D+: Which enologist do you work with?

S.D.: I worked with the support of Michel Rolland, who has been the estate’s consultant oenologist since 1992, allow it to strive for perfection vintage after vintage.

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We highlight Lalique’s values, these being our know-how, our quest of excellence and also the rich artistic heritage that we inherited from Rene Lalique and that inspires us in our contemporary collections.

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D+: In March 2005, you purchased simultaneously three wineries in Bordeaux: Chateau Faugeres, Chateau Peby Faugeres (AOC Saint-Emilion Grand Cru), and Chateau Cap de Faugeres (AOC Cotes de Castillon). Did you foresee then that in June 2015 Robert Parker would give a hundred points to the 2005 Peby Faugeres vintage?! If it’s not a secret, how did you select these chateaux for the purchase then and how did you work on creating such a wine?

S.D.: The red jewel in the Vignobles Silvio Denz crown, Peby Faugeres was created in 1998 in tribute to the estate’s former owner Pierre-Bernard Guisez, whose nickname it has adopted. Made up of Faugeres best Merlot plots, this vineyard occupies a single piece of land on the ancient soils of the Saint-Emilion limestone-clay plateau and was soon recognised as a wine in its own right. Quickly rising to become one of the greats, its 2000 vintage (christened ‘Legend of the Future’) was named one of the top 24 wines in Bordeaux by Robert Parker, who then awarded it the perfect score of 100/100 in 2005 in his magazine ‘Wine Advocate’. Born of a unique terroir, Peby Faugeres is also the expression of an ongoing quest for perfection both at the vines and in the winery, where it benefits from the expertise of oenologist Michel Rolland. In addition to the demanding standards shared with the others Vignobles Silvio Denz estates, this Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe also nurtures rarity: every year, the harvest undergoes a rigorous selection which only permits small-scale production of 18 hectolitres per hectare.

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D+: People say that it is an exemplary wine storehouse where all modern requirements were made? How is this cellar different from others?

S.D.: I put my enthusiasm and taste for excellence at work in the estates I acquired. Nothing is left to chance in the running of these estates, which are committed to the ongoing pursuit of perfection using the most natural possible practices in accordance with ECOPASS ISO 14001 certification. Every detail matters and contributes to the wines’ unique expression. Reading a terroir, expert advice, watchful care, modernising equipment, combining traditional practices with more innovative technologies – every effort is made to enable the plots of land to express their abundant potential to the full. I try to blend these talents and combine my passions to bring these developments to fruition. The art of winemaking, architecture, traditional expertise and cutting-edge infrastructure are all put to use to achieve the best possible interpretation of these vineyards. Tasting notes and scores have demonstrated the quality of the wines from one vintage to the next. In 2012, seven years after they were acquired, Chateau Peby Faugeres and Chateau Faugeres became SaintEmilion Grands Crus Classes.

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D+: Could you please tell us about the collaboration with the architect Mario Botta to create a wine cellar in Chateau Faugeres. The say it is an exemplary storehouse for wine where all modern requirements are met. How is this cellar different from others?

S.D.: As well as being a remarkable work of architecture, the winery is also a technological tool designed for cutting-edge winemaking. As a true temple of wine, its excellent facilities (in particular its gravity-fed vat house) paired with the support of Michel Rolland, the estate’s consultant oenologist, allow it to strive for perfection vintage after vintage.

Our exclusive interview with Silvio Denz – the owner of The House of Lalique and several French and Spanish stellar wineries.

Today, leading wine brands increasingly often invite globally recognized experts to participate in their projects. An evidence of this trend is the October visit of Gerard Basset, one of the most renowned wine gurus, to the Ukrainian capital. At the presentation of “Tamada” TM for Kyiv professionals the maitre combined Georgian wines and European cuisine with enogastronomic ties. Gerard told D+ about this experience and many other things.

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Drinks+: Gerard, you are one of the most experienced and award-winning wine expert in the world, and a holder of the title of Master Sommelier (1989). Tell us, please, how your career started, and how you became a Master of Wine – we have heard that is completing this program is a big challenge. Can you say more about this qualification? And how did you get a Wine MBA in 2007?

Gerard Basset: To be honest, I have never had an objective to become a sommelier. But one football match changed everything. I once came to England to support my favorite team, and I fell in love with this country so much that I decided to stay. I needed a job, of course, and I started as a waiter at one of local restaurants. This business became my passion, and when I returned to France for some time, and decided to learn cooking. I completed different training courses, from waiter to chef. But, frankly speaking, I never planned to become a chef. This was followed by a sommelier training course which I took to get new knowledge.

However, already at that time I understood that I did not want to be a restaurant manager, but I wanted to be a sommelier. Why I decided to qualify in different areas? Probably, just because I like learning as a process. Exams, contests and preparations to them are the best part of it. The whole life is a constant search of knowledge. And the more knowledge you get, the hungrier for it you become. Becoming a Master Sommelier – or, in principle, becoming the best in your sphere – requires a lot of effort.

First of all, you need to improve your level of education, which means a lot of reading, showing interest to new things, and a lot of practice. To get the Master of Wine degree, you will need to write an assay, in addition to other things. This is followed by technical part. For example, the tasting process for the Master of Wine is different from, let’s say, the Master Sommelier’s. You will need to describe the wine in more details, including the region, and to provide a good explanation in your answer.

The title of Master of Wine is highly respected in the UK. Wine experts will perceive you in a totally different way. I gained my MBA qualification at a management school in Bordeaux, where I wrote a thesis on the wine list. I was running my own business at that time, and this experience proved to be very useful. We were learning to understand the principles which guests follow when they choose the wine, and how the specific wine list may impact the guest’s choice. We took a small restaurant and filled its wine list with 90 positions. It contained everything but information about the wines. People started asking about such criteria as style and food compatibility, and then the geography.

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D+: We have a different story here in Ukraine. Sometimes it is difficult to persuade guests to try a wine produced by the manufacturer they don’t know, as an alternative to a famous brand. This is why some sommeliers, if they want to draw attention to other wines that are not any worse, simply remove the “celebrity” positions from the wine list.

G.B.: The point is that new wines should be offered to guests by glass. It does not make any sense to pay $100 per bottle when you are not sure if the bottle’s contents meet your expectations. Unfortunately, it is not always possible.

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D+: Which steps do you take for further development of your profession?

G.B.: It is a range of steps that includes reading industry journals and books, wine atlases, and visiting wine-tasting events and wineries. One of the books that have recently impressed me is ”The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty”. This is a real story of a wine triumph of Californian wine-makers of Italian descent in the Napa Valley and competition between their children. The book is written by Julia Flynn Siler and is highly recommended.

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D+: Thank you for this recommendation. Gerard, in 2010 you won the Catey Award, an equivalent of an Oscar in catering industry. Please tell us about this nomination. And, in principle, do all these awards and title have any impact on your career?

G.B.: The Catey award is very important in the UK’s restaurant and catering industry. And it is really prestigious to hold it. However, almost nobody knows about it outside of the industry in which it is awarded. For sure, any awards are important for your personal development and your future career. Additionally, if you own a restaurant, this is a good reason to motivate your people: thank you, guys, we have become the best place. This is a good leverage for team management.

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D+: How often do you travel? Do you have a favorite region and winery?

G.B.: I love Burgundy for its exceptional wines – sometimes you can find real masterpieces there. I like the Napa Valley, it’s like a wine Disneyland. I cannot avoid mentioning Madeira and Champagne. I really travel a lot – Italy, France, Portugal, South Africa – and each country is worth a separate story. Generally, to have an idea about the region, you need to visit not only big and famous estates, but also small producers too. If you come to Burgundy and visit just Romanee Conti, this will not be enough. Although I call their wines dream wines. By the way, I consider a visit to this domain my best experience.

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D+: What are main mistakes that occur in making a wine list?
G.B.: I would not call it a mistake, but this is a very common thing in restaurants now, when the wines contained in the wine list are in fact not available. For example, you come to the restaurant and ask a bottle of wine you have chosen. They tell you it is not available now. Then you find another wine and point at the relevant position in the wine list. And you hear that, unfortunately, it is not available too. This shouldn’t be a case. But, in fact, different things may happen. Sometimes the wines contained in the wine list do not match the restaurant’s food at all. Once, my wife and I visited a fish restaurant in London. Its wine list was a variety of famous wine brands. Nevertheless, there was no real match between the wines and the food. Bear in mind that filling the wine list with top wines that don’t really match the food will not be a big success.

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D+: It is a well-known fact that the chef also plays an important role in creation of enogastronomic pairs. Do you have any disputes with your chef?

G.B.: We have never had any disputes. This is a team work, and you always need to look for a compromise in case of any disputes. We have done big work with Andrea Nori, chef of the “OK Bar & Restaurant”. This is a great experience. And in the process of creation of enogastronomic pairs – a combination of Georgian TM “Tamada” wines and European cuisine – we were fine-tuning some things and changing other things, but it was just a kind of polishing.

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D+: Did you find any complicated or unexpected combinations?

G.B.: This experience has become a kind of a challenge for me, because I’m just planning to go to Georgia and currently I don’t know Georgian wines that well. When making the pairs, I focused on stylistic characteristics of semi-sweet wines. And it worked in many aspects. The combination of delicate taste of cheese in salad and Tsinandali was what I liked especially. I think that you shouldn’t be too conservative and combine specific wines only with specific food. This is approach is boring and not very professional. Georgian sweet wines are quite interesting. I think Ukrainian consumers know them well.

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D+: Have you ever tried wines from kvevri? If yes, what are your impressions, and do they have a chance for recognition in Europe?

G.B.: Georgian wines have just started their way to the global success. Wines from kvevri will definitely find – and have probably already found – their own audience, as they have their own history and philosophy. I have tried many natural wines in my life, and liked some of them and didn’t like other. But wines from kvevri which I tasted were really elegant. They are now available for sale in London.

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D+: How do you think, does the chef has to have an extensive knowledge of wines or basic expertise is sufficient? For example, leading culinary schools now include wine courses into their training programs.
G.B.: Chef has to know and feel the wine. Today there are many culinary colleges that for some reasons tend to underestimate the importance of wine semesters, which is incorrect – at least from the marketing point of view.

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D+: Which product, sauce or specific dish you think is the most difficult in terms of the choice of wine?

G.B.: Very spicy food. Especially when it comes to Oriental and Mexican food. Many wines, of course, go well with ‘hot’ dishes, but if the food is soaking in a think layer of spices, making pairs is not that important here. However, everything depends on the particular case. Chocolate, for instance, is also considered problematic with regard to wines, but many types of wine effectively unveil the piquant taste of the “capricious” product.

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D+: Which restaurants (except those where you work) you can call exemplary?

G.B.: In London, go to “Texture” – a wonderful restaurant with good cuisine and an extensive selection of champagne. If we talk about places with outstanding wine lists, I would recommend “28/50”. They have very simple and basic food. But the unique feature of this place is that the managers include a minimum margin into their wine list. Therefore, visitors have an opportunity to taste wines of the chateau which they cannot afford at other restaurants. I also must mention “Terroir” for its extensive wine list. Here you can order exceptional wines by glass. In Paris, for example, I would recommend “Caillebotte”, a popular choice of locals and tourists. “Frenchie Bar a Vins” is another must-visit place in the capital of France. Great ambiance, carefully selected wines, incredible food, good service and very democratic prices make it a favorite place of many guests. “L’Affable”, a French restaurant with simple but delicious food. From wine bars, I would recommend “L’avant Comptoir”. This is a small place, but they have a very good wine offer.

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D+: You own a restaurant and a boutique hotel “Terra Vino” on the South England coast. Can you please give an advice to beginner hoteliers – what is necessary for a hotel to become a success?

G.B.: My wife and I run our own small 11- room hotel and a restaurant of Californian and European cuisine. Location is probably essential for the hotel. From my practice I see that guests prefer staying near the water. Food and wine list are important, too. If your guest is not impressed by the food and drinks, he will not come back to you. You need to take all these factors into account, but if you are simply difficult to find, or it is necessary to cover 20 kilometers of winding roads to reach your restaurant, your project will be a failure.

D+: Gerard, thank you for the interview. We wish you a great journey to Georgia and hope to see you soon in Ukraine.

Фото: sanfranciscowineschool.com, inspirationf1.com, beingasommelier.wordpress.com, thedrinksbusiness.com, seebtm.com, aucklandnz.com, schiller-wine.blogspot.com, independent.co.uk, downtheroad.org, nypost.com

The most experienced and award-winning wine expert Gerard Basset told D+ about his experience and many other things.