Eyes on the Sommelier: Marc Almert’s Leap from Champion to Director

Behind every bottle, every label, every concept is a person with a story. Liquid Letters is our space for precisely these stories - for quiet thoughts, courageous decisions and the many small moments that give rise to great ideas. We talk to the creatives, the visionaries and the quiet heroes of the industry - openly, personally and with a genuine interest in what drives them.

Dive into a new conversation with us - this time with Marc Almert.

Marc Almert is widely known and respected for his expertise and knowledge of the industry. In 2019, the sommelier won the ASI Best Sommelier World Championship at the age of just 27. In the same year, he took over the position of head sommelier at the Zurich wine retailer “Baur au Lac” and has since been responsible for curating all of the hotel's wine lists.

Marc Almert has been Managing Director of Baur au Lac Vins since January, following the unexpected death of Managing Director Jimmy Roser last November.

The wine trading house Baur au Lac Vins has been around for 180 years. Like the 5-star superior hotel Baur au Lac, the wine trading house of the same name is also owned by the Kracht family. Baur au Lac Vins has a range of well over 3,000 wines and spirits from more than 300 producers worldwide, of which around 100 are general agents.

The wine trading company now has five wine stores in and around Zurich as well as an online store. It also acts as a distributor for Swiss restaurants and specialist retailers.

Liquid Letters presents the exclusive interview with Marc Almert, ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2019 . Find out why this formative success was like a dream from which he never woke up. We invite you to have a read and dream along.

From sommelier world champion to managing director of Baur au Lac Vins - what was the bigger thrill: a World Cup or the first day at Baur au Lac Vins under many expectant eyes?

I think the most important thing to remember about this question is that I have been employed at Baur au Lac & Baur au Lac Vins for over 8 years and we decided internally about three and a half years ago that my activities should increasingly fall within the Baur au Lac Vins area. It was a gradual progression. Of course, new tasks, especially when you are working towards management, are always associated with a certain curiosity, as you never know 100% what to expect and whether you will live up to the various expectations and hopes - especially when you are still a little younger. However, you can't compare it to the emotional pressure of a snapshot of a competition, or rather, THE competition. The thrill, the pressure of the moment on stage, in front of thousands of people watching and judging your every step and movement on site or via a broadcast, this moment teaches you what pressure really means.

Baur au Lac Vins stands for the highest quality, but also for a more classic style - some would say that it could become a little more modern. Will this noble niche remain or can it become a little louder, wilder and younger in the future?

My predecessor Jimmy used to say: “you can slowly let go of the elegant restraint”. Now that I have an all-encompassing insight into all the structures, I can definitely say that we may - still - be wrongly perceived by some as rather conservative on the outside, but on the inside, with a young team and many creative minds, you can see that many new areas are being touched and expanded, which is anything but outdated.

 How would you like to contribute your experience as a sommelier to the management - is it now more about numbers or will wine remain the centerpiece?

Wine will always be at my heart - for a sommelier it is a passion, a feeling and much more than a job. Of course, there are also many economic aspects to the management, but let's be honest, it's not that far removed from the profession of sommelier. It's part of our profession to have our figures under control - I've already spent many years writing wine lists, doing pricing and managing budgets. A sommelière or sommelier is only really good if they can put together an economical wine concept.

The Swiss wine industry is changing: Where do you currently see the most exciting developments - and what do you think needs to be thought through much more boldly?

In the Swiss wine sector in particular, we are currently seeing that local and high-quality sparkling wines are playing an increasingly important role. Many winegrowers are also now very keen to develop single vineyard sites and bring them to market as wines with a strong character - and this is to be welcomed, especially in terms of international value. There are also exciting developments on the wine market in general - although some of these should not be viewed without concern. When we think of the extreme upswing in non-alcoholic substitute products, especially in combination with a general decline in consumption, we have to consider how we react to this. I like to compare it with meat consumption - less of it is being eaten in Switzerland in particular, but better and more sustainable qualities. I see it similarly with wine.

Is there a grape variety, a style, a trend that makes you roll your eyes - even if the whole world is rather positive about it?

Sales of red wine with residual sweetness have risen noticeably - which I, like many other sommeliers, am less able to understand. Residual sweetness is generally an issue, especially with sparkling wines. In some cases, entire lists of ingredients - ice, slices of orange and the like - are now added, which makes me wonder whether this is done to conceal a residual sugar content that is set far too high.

How would you like to inspire the young generation for wine during the strong anti-alcohol and health hype?

Fortunately, we recognized this trend in good time and are also very well positioned in the area of non-alcoholic alternatives. Nevertheless, we must of course react accordingly in order to reach out to our existing and potential market. We firmly believe that we have to get away from the idea that wine is purely a commodity. Wine connects, it creates emotions.  For example, we recently attended a speed dating event where we served our wines - further proof that we are anything but old-fashioned.

 Is there a wine that tastes like home to you - regardless of vintage and label?

Generally speaking, it's Riesling! And if I want to be more precise, it's Riesling from the Rheingau, you can always find it in my fridge. I had my first sommelier job in the Rheingau and learned to love wine there - it's something that shapes you for life.

Is there a formative experience that drove you to your career?

It's difficult to pinpoint one, but there were many moments that convinced me to follow this path. Two come to mind immediately; during my apprenticeship we were allowed to go to the Ahr valley to help harvest grapes. Once you stand in a vineyard, on the steep slopes, where you actually thought how is it even possible to work here, impressive! An even more memorable experience was when I was able to attend a rare wine tasting at the Excelsior Hotel Ernst in Cologne, featuring port wines from Symington and matured Rieslings from Egon Müller. Both are legends in their field. I was particularly fascinated by the Riesling, how a “fermented old grape juice”, four times my age, can taste so incredibly fresh, precise and structured. That's when I was hooked!

If you were a grape variety - what would it be and why?

Although you might think it would be Riesling, it would actually be the Syrah grape variety - sometimes loud and uncomplicated, like a Shiraz from Australia, then again a character that takes a while to warm up to, like Syrah from the northern Rhône. And yet we always have the globetrotter in front of us, who has been shaped by his different experiences and also reveals these experiences through his style.

What would your closest friends say about you that is not in any official portrait - perhaps even over one glass too many?

A good friend once told me that many people probably underestimate or misjudge me because they only know one side of me - the side that I show to the outside world. Very reflective and humble. She said that for me, as a friend, Marc is an incredibly warm-hearted person who always senses when something is on your mind and can talk about it. He can also dance the night away and enjoys cooking with friends, cracking open good bottles and talking nonsense just as much as anyone else. That probably sums it up pretty well.

What would be your “One Wine to Die?

It's more of a vintage - a Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese from 1921, a vintage that is considered one of the best for this style.