Time to breathe
GERARD BASSET has made his passion for wine a central inspiration for his business ventures.The only person in the world to hold the titles of Master Sommelier, Master of Wine and Wine MBA, Gerard met with Christian Delteil to discuss the beauty in a bottle
‘‘A sommelier is a salesman. And being a salesman
is a very noble profession. The art of a sommelier
is being able to read the customer, understand
their needs and offer knowledge in a positive,
friendly and uplifting manner.” Wine has grown
in popularity in recent years, with a place for wine experiences at
virtually every level of the hospitality market. The UK industry
alone is worth £15.4 billion in sales. However, it is not only the
consumption of wine but the debate around it which has
triggered enthusiasm and established itself as a cultural entity.
As one of the most acclaimed sommeliers of our time, Gerard’s
enthusiasm for a subject which has been his profession for
more than 25 years is undiminished, and he has particular
understanding of the subject. Not only that but he is probably
one of the most understated people you are likely to meet and
this, according to Gerard, is all part of a sommelier’s success.
“I was once travelling with a very famous wine maker who took me to a two Michelin star restaurant. He had phoned the restaurant in advance and asked the sommelier to serve a particular vintage of his wine and ensure it was decanted. When we arrived it was not decanted. It was embarrassing.
“The point is that a sommelier has nothing to do with the way a wine has been produced, so we have to keep a certain modesty. It’s not like being a bartender who creates something by mixing different flavours; in this respect they more like chefs. The sommelier doesn’t create the product they sell however they can take a customer on a journey to enhance their experience.”
Gerard has been a sommelier since the 1980’s and been a Master Sommelier for the past 20 years. Having competed on the international circuit for sommelier competitions, he won numerous awards, most recently second place in the Best Sommelier of the World in 2004. However, he is extremely active in developing sommeliers and recently his protégé Laura Rhys became “Sommelier of the Year” in the annual competition run by the Academy of Food & Wine. Others under his tutelage have won the award during his time with Chewton Glen and Hotel du Vin.
“Sometimes I feel like I am a football manager, trying to ensure
that wherever he plays he tries to win the cup! But it’s a pleasure
to put back your knowledge and passion in the industry and to
help young people to develop. It can be a problem as well; if I put
an advertisement for one sommelier, one for chef and one for a
manager, I would have three responses for the manager, three for
the chef and 100’s for the sommelier!”
The desire to try new and interesting wines has become an increasingly important issue for the hospitality industry. As the variety available in supermarkets and other retail businesses has increased, the hospitality industry has sought to differentiate its wine lists from the more readily available brands. Increasingly, small independent wine makers deliberately choose not to supply supermarkets. Small wine makers produce less volume and it would be unwise to have their product on a supermarket shelf given that a sommelier is unlikely to select their product. Whilst this is encouraging as these artisan producers are supported by our industry, Gerard sees the supermarkets as having played a positive role.
“Supermarkets have encouraged people to try different wines from different countries. However, we have to be concerned that the retail price gives the wrong impression of the true cost.
“The wine market has changed enormously in the last decade. Previously you had more competition in the high-street and customers had more choice, today only a few chains of wine shops remain. These big groups control huge volumes of the wine production and they have to sell it, often by offering substantial discounts on volume. Fortunately, there are still some dedicated independent wine merchants”
Gerard and his wife Nina recently celebrated the second anniversary of Hotel Terra Vina, the boutique hotel they jointly run in the New Forest. It’s very much a family business according to Gerard, whilst Nina comments, “Well Gerard looks after the wine and I… do the rest!” Gerard had previously co-founded the Hotel du Vin business, selling it to MWB for £66.4 million in October 2004. After the sale, Gerard took a break during which time he attained his wine MBA with the Bordeaux Business School. He quickly realised that there was something missing. “I have spent 25 years of my life in the industry and I think when you touch a hospitality business once, it is forever under your skin.” The name Terra Vina was chosen as it was catchy with connotations of wine. Gerard comments that he had been fascinated by the name Wagamama, as it is difficult to say, but always remembered.
“We wanted to create something modern. The restaurant at Hotel du Vin was based on a French bistro 1930s style with art deco and memorable wine. With Terra Vina I wanted to utilise my wine knowledge and reflect the Californian style which really inspired us.”
The food and beverage operation is central to Terra Vina, with 99% of clients eating in the restaurant. Gerard regards the mindset of running a hotel as completely different to that of running a restaurant. In his view the rooms business is not as difficult to manage, provided the build and design of the product is good, it delivers a quality service and is priced according to the market. However, food and beverage requires an altogether different approach, with skills, knowledge and training all vital elements. It’s a different concept to Hotel du Vin and I want to ask Gerard how he has approached the development of the wine list?
“A wine list is a very personal point of view. I think the list needs to be well balanced, offer a wine selection which is not available in a major store and which takes your customer on a journey of discovery and surprise. This does not mean it should be expensive. Alternatively, you could specialise yourselves in a region such as the South West of France.
“Like food, what we drink today is not the same than 10 years ago. Today people are more into fruity, light wines whilst big shiraz’ are less popular though they still sell. The most popular wines now are sauvignon, chardonnay, riesling is on the way back. Austrian wine and Spanish wine like the Albarino are popular whites. Argentinean wine, especially Malbec, is well up front for red wine and when you look at the value for money it is a fantastic product.”
“It is not only the consumption of wine but the debate around it which has triggered enthusiasm and established itself as a cultural entity”
“What is essential is that a customer is able to get information from the wine list which is easy to comprehend so that, in some way, your wine list becomes your sommelier through the provision of a descriptive note on each wine. Customers do not require a sommelier to be able to choose a wine.”
With 11 bedrooms Gerard confirms that the goal with Terra Vina was to have something small and controllable, as it is easier to maintain a good occupancy rate throughout the year. The £2.8 million project is a major investment for the couple who put 50% of their own money into the project, with Lloyds bank providing the rest. Though Gerard regards the arrangement as the perfect partnership, he acknowledges that the first two years have had their challenges.
“At the time there was no indication that the downturn would be so severe. That said, a recession forces you to be creative, receptive and flexible –more than you would normally be in a buoyant economy. Our overall cost base is increasing rather than decreasing, at the end of the day we have bills to pay and profit to generate. In a recession you have to be creative, you are forced in some way to focus more on your costs and to be more active in generating effective marketing activities.
“In terms of future development I would say if we had the opportunity then why not? But we would require a different structure, because we could not do it on our own, we would have to find a partner to come on board. Or we could look at bringing in a named chef or perhaps a small hotel group, who has limited identity and wanted to move forward.”
And finally, what is Gerard’s tipple for relaxing after a busy day? A nice Pinot Noir from Bourgogne.
Click here to subscribe to EP Magazine
Copyright ©2010 EP Magazine