Meet our winemakers...
ludovic zermatten
Private wine buyers will have trouble finding this winery, for its owner lives in the mountains on two sides of the Rhone, in the ski resort of Verbier in winter, where his partner has a restaurant, and on the upper end of Conthey where he grew up, a farm town, when the ski season ends and golf clubs come out of their bags. The cellar where the wine is made, with a friend, is in another village, St. Pierre de Clages, near the river. It’s easily accessible during the work week from either mountain perch.
from sportsman to winemaker
Founder Ludovic Zermatten, sportsman (he also organizes the Swiss Vignerons soccer team) and much touted winemaker, is anything but hidden. However, his business model is to sell almost entirely to restaurants, where his wine is in demand. The model, he explains, is what you do when you come from a non-wine family and start up a business on your own. A new winery doesn’t come with ready-made private clients.
What he lacked in a client list at the outset, in 2019, he made up for in training at Changins, the Swiss wine university, and oenology talent as well as a background in communications that lies behind the clearly classy wines he produces. He was in charge of marketing the renowned arduous Swiss high mountain race started by the Swiss Army, the Patrouille des Glaciers, which takes place every four years between Zermatt and Verbier. Wine-wise he headed respected wineries including la Cave Corbassière in Saillon (2003-2011) and the new Renaissance Vins (2013-2018).
An early first solo wine on the side, Nariz del Diablo, made in 2015, is spectacular 9 years later, but sadly there remains just one bottle, safely stowed in his private cellar. His solo wines, made before he created his cellar, include Merlots and Petite Arvines, two grape varieties that his winery features today.
Creative Blends
Ludovic produces two lines of wines, the high-end labeled “Z” wines and the lowercase “z” line for more everyday drinking. Blends are one of his creative outlets. His Grand Becca white, for example, named after a nearby mountain, is a blend of Petite Arvine made in oak with Petite Arvine in stainless steels tanks and Arvine from the other side of the Alps, the Val d’Aosta in Italy.
A love for Travel
Some of the wine fantasy names reflect his love for travel, especially in South America. The wines reflect his larger eclectic appreciation for both the refined and the unusual – he sometimes serves wines, red and white alike, in elegantly thin wavy top glasses made for Italian super-chic chef Davide Oldani with whom he collaborated on a project, but he’s also capable of suddenly pulling out Valais dried meat, the ultra of Valais traditional life, made to a special recipe by a friend. And he’s proud of Les Bulles de Sophie, a sparkling wine of light hazelnut notes bottled by a friend who makes cider – his partner drinks nothing but sparkling wines, a taste she acquired growing up in a ski resort restaurant, and this one is for her.
our hand-selected white wines
from
ludovic zermatten
Bulles de Sophie, vin du pays
Wine profile
A very chic easy to drink sparkling wine, the favorite drink of his partner, who’s in the hotel/restaurant business in Zermatt. Made for her, this is light and fruity with a pleasing hint of
sweetness.
Cultivation and vinification
Prosecco style
Food pairing
On its own, aperitif, light foods.
Gran Becca blanc
Wine profile
A Petite Arvine majority blend of great elegance, designed for gastronomy, to accompany sophisticated dishes. Always with the sunny richness Valais gives this grape, and the tautness for which it is known, here with added depth.
Cultivation and vinification
Matured in oak barrels.
Food pairing
With all fine foods, especially fish and white meats.
Fendant
Wine Profile
Far more character than is usually found in a Fendant. Lovely light gold color. Nose: clean fruit and floral notes, fresh silica mineral with lemon and lime, then pear. Slight touch of carbonation.
Cultivation and vinification
The vines are in Sierre on slopes with loess soils. Drought and warm summers recently have pushed the harvest time forward, to avoid too much sugar and too high an alcohol content, but the well-ripened grapes have added personality. Hand-picked, slow pressing. Fermented and matured in stainless steel tanks.
Food pairing
A Fendant with enough character to happily accompany meals, especially cheese dishes such as fondue and raclette, but also shrimp and seafood or cold cuts such as Valais dried meats.
Petite Arvine
Wine profile
Beautiful golden color and a complex nose that goes beyond the classic rhubarb or gooseberry – peach and white peach notes, with quince in older vintage wines. A long finish and it only improves after the bottle is open for a while, making it perfect to accompany a meal.
Cultivation and vinification
Fermented in stainless steel, no racking.
Food pairing
This is a gastronomy wine, intended for meals and not as an aperitif. Will work well with a good variety of rich seafood, fish and cheese or other dairy product dishes.
our hand-selected red wines
from
ludovic zermatten
Pi No.
Wine Profile
Cleverly named “π No.”
A luxurious and big oaked Pinot Noir from grapes grown in Ludovic Zermatten’s home village of St. Severin, on the slopes above Conthey. This is a complex yet delicate well-structured wine that shows Pinot Noir at its best.
Cultivation and vinification
The limestone soil is rich in minerals, providing complexity. Aged in oak barrels.
Food pairing
The beauty of such a well-made Pinot is its versatility with food. This works with hors d’oeuvres, well-flavored meats and sauces, game, as well as lighter elegant dishes.
Cornalin
Wine Profile
Bright, dry, fruity with classic notes of cherry for which this Valais star grape is known. Well-balanced.
Cultivation and vinification
Made in stainless steels tanks.
Food pairing
Good with cheeses and red meats, versatile.
Cornalin Z
Wine Profile
The oaked version of this beautiful Valais grape, with good complexity, cherries and some tobacco.
Cultivation and vinification
Matured two years in oak barrels.
Food pairing
Works well with cheeses and meats.
