A passion for wine and vines

It is a pleasure to share my journey. I
often jokes that I am the homeless man of viticulture
Swiss, because I had neither land nor a vineyard to take over in
leaving the school of Marcelin and Changins. My background is rather
marked by encounters rather than traditional experiences.

The first significant encounter was with Blaise Duboux . He passed on to me his passion for vines, the landscape, and the terroir. I understood the importance of becoming the guardian of a landscape, a tradition, and a know-how. It is a responsibility that reminds us that the vines were there before us and will be there after us.

Then I met Philippe Charrière, whom I like to call "the scholar." I spent the last year of my apprenticeship with him. He did a lot of research and testing, and he inspired me to always seek answers to questions about vines and wine. He often told me that our only capital was our time.

Denis Jotterand, the former cantonal oenologist, was a significant encounter. He came to conduct winemaking trials at Philippe Charrière's. He offered me the opportunity to work at the cantonal laboratory, where I learned a lot, particularly by gluing
the wines and analyzing them. It was incredible to see all the greatest winemakers in the canton parade.

In 2001, I moved to Neuchâtel to work at the Domaine des Coccinelles in organic farming. I met Maurice Lambert, a pioneer of Swiss organic farming. At the same time, I was studying at Changins, where organic farming wasn't in the spotlight, which created a striking contrast. I also worked at the Cave de la Béroche with Ernest Gachnang, a Swiss-German master cellar master.

https://www.mommessin.com/fr/Yes, Burgundy, the wines of kings! My father, who was a connoisseur, introduced me to Jean-Claude Boisset, a fascinating man. I had the honor of working with Bernard Zito and Pascal Marchand at La Vougeraie , where we worked in excellence. Then, I worked at Monmessin , a large cooperative in Beaujolais, where the contrast with Burgundy was striking.

The New World had a fascinating approach to marketing. I went to South Africa to understand what was happening there. I stayed there for five months, returning with plenty of ideas and a heightened interest in sales.

I landed a job as a cellar master for the Saint-François cellar. I met one of my best friends, Patrick Bovon, and Tania there in 2007. My boss, Aimé Pouly , inspired me a lot with his Swiss bakery empire.

The last 15 years have been marked by the recovery of
the family business and wonderful meetings with winegrowers
and gourmets. More than ever, I realize that the love of wine has
allowed to meet incredible people and not only
to work, but to get up every day to see friends.