This week marks a small but meaningful milestone for me: the first wine from vines I’ve been working on is now in bottle and ready to drink. Yippeee!
Over the past fifteen months, I’ve spent countless hours in the vines at Plan Cerisier, sometimes alongside Yves Delaporte of Kairos, who has taken me under his wing, and sometimes on my own, learning the realities of vineyard work one season at a time.
Pruning in winter. Tying and training vines in spring. Managing growth through the season. Watching the weather. Adapting, learning and occasionally being humbled by nature. Viticulture has a way of rewarding patience and perspective.
Seeing a wine from those vines now in bottle feels like a real milestone.
Learning viticulture has been a goal of mine since I was 18. During Covid, I formally began my wine studies, but I quickly realised that understanding wine shouldn’t stop at tasting or theory. To truly understand wine, I wanted to understand where it begins. That journey led me into the vineyards of Plan Cerisier and has given me an entirely new appreciation for Swiss wine, particularly the wines of Valais.
Working on steep, high-altitude terraces quickly teaches you why these wines are so special. Nearly every task requires more effort, more skill and more commitment than many people realise when they open a bottle.
The experience has also reinforced something I strongly believe in: the best experiences come from genuine understanding.
As I continue building Above & Beyond, spending time in the vineyard allows me to bring greater authenticity, knowledge and perspective to the experiences I create for clients. Whether exploring vineyards, meeting producers, enjoying private tastings or discovering local gastronomy, understanding the craft behind the product always enriches the story.
These bottles carry the Kairos branding of Yves Delaporte, who has generously shared his knowledge and experience with me throughout this journey.
The next chapter is already underway: soon, I’ll be launching my own wine…In the meantime, another exciting project is already taking shape.
Together with Mélanie Besse, a talented wine producer and neighbour at Plan Cerisier, we are launching Le Pink Bouquetin, an alpine pink spritz pop-up bar concept celebrating the best of Valais. Built exclusively around Valaisan produce, we’ll be serving Mélanie’s pét-nat rosé and using her rosé wine as the foundation of our signature Valaisan pink spritz cocktail.
You’ll find us in Verbier in a few days during the Swiss National Day celebrations on 31 July and 1 August. For now, I’m taking a moment to appreciate how far this journey has come, while looking forward to where it leads next.
Watch this space…
Email info@aboveandbeyondluxe.com for more information on Valaisan wine experiences or if you’d like to book our Le Pink Bouquetin pop up bar for your Verbier chalet celebrations.