How was your love for wine born?
«I grew up in a family that has the culture and passion for wine; both of my grandparents' families, in fact, produced it, and since I was little I have no memory of a lunch or dinner without it on our table. However, it was one of the first tastings I attended that marked me, I was wondering why I might like something, and something I don't. At that moment I decided to enroll in the course to become a sommelier, which I finished in 2017. From a simple curiosity and passion, it eventually became my job ».
How is a good wine recommended?
«The first thing is to understand the preferences of those in front of you, or to identify their type. I currently work at the META restaurant in Paradiso, for me it is essential to find the perfect match between the dishes we are going to serve and the customer's needs. Thanks to the professionalism and participation of the chef Luca Bellanca and the whole team, it is really stimulating to study the menu and the different combinations. For example, I like to propose local wines, which intrigue tourists but also the regular customer, there are many small wineries that may not know each other. It is stimulating to find “the perfect match”, because it can transform a simple dinner into a real experience ».
How does a woman find herself in a predominantly male world?
«Yes it's true, the figure of the sommelier is often associated with that of a man, but it must be said that now more and more women are taking this path. It rarely happens, but for some customers, the figure of a young sommelier is still difficult to understand and accept, but it is up to us to make those in front of us understand our skills and competences, managing to amaze people in a positive way ».
What was the experience of participating in the championships for choosing the best Swiss sommelier?
“It was a very interesting adventure. The nice thing, beyond the competition for which you still need years of preparation that touches various areas, was being able to meet many people who do the same job as you and in different areas of Switzerland. The most interesting part is therefore the comparison you can have with your colleagues, in a real exchange of passions and information. It is certainly a path that made me grow and that I would retrace ».
What are the characteristics that a good sommelier must have?
«Never stop, it's a world so vast that you never stop learning. You have to be curious, look for stimuli, participate in tastings and events in order to continue tasting. Reading is also a fundamental activity, focusing on dedicated magazines and books. It takes concentration and passion, especially as regards the pairing with the dishes and the interaction with customers ».
What is your ideal wine?
«I always say that I don't have a favorite wine, but of each category I have a type that I prefer. If we talk about bubbles, for example, I am very much in love with champagne, but even here it is a huge world, maybe you can also discover small producers who offer several very interesting labels. As for whites, I have an area of preference, namely the Loire of France and Piedmont for reds, but it is a world that never ceases to surprise me, who knows that tomorrow my preferences will not fall on something different " .
META restaurant
