Every Friday TheChampagneSommelier will ask 5 questions about 5 coeur de bouteilles to friends and Champagne lovers from near and far. This week we had a bubbly chat with our Swiss Champagne friend SwissChampagneGuy aka Dustin Michael Salvisberg.
BIO Dustin Michael Salvisberg
My name is Dustin Michael Salvisberg. I am currently working as an Event Manager in Switzerland and my champagne journey started five years ago, when I received a bottle of Taittinger Comtes 2000. That was the bottle who made me curious how champagne was actually made. So I started to read different books, articles and watched documentaries on the internet. Although, where I learned the most, was during my several trips to Champagne, meeting winemakers or cellarmasters. Going out in vineyards, seeing and feeling the terroir of the Champagne region is for me the best way to learn.
When I launched my IG Account with the name of SwissChampagneGuy it took not long and I got in touch with several champagne Aficionados, Vignerons & Maisons asking me to come visit them! I tried to make my visits more memorable and I kind of made up the name “Champagne Rally” with a small group of international champagne lovers. It became our annual ritual and I still have in mind creating an official Rally in the near future.
Besides this, I have the pleasure to host private masterclasses with the goal to spread the passion to beginners or people who are curious to discover the different aspects about champagne. I also have the huge privilege to work indirectly as a Brand Ambassador for several Maisons & Vignerons in Switzerland. This diversification makes me who I am today, a Swiss champagne guy who loves to share bottles with people all over the world.
Which Champagne would You treat your parents or in-laws?
‘My parents in-law are local drinkers, as most Swiss citizens generally are. But it happens that I bring a champagne blind when I come over. I would choose something more complex, like the cuvée PI (TT) from Legras & Haas, a blend of 11 vintages going back to the remarkable 1995 vintage.’
Which Champagne would You treat your lover?
’She is more a rosé driven consumer so I would treat her with a Comtes Rosé but something younger, like a vintage 2005 or 2006, since she is more into younger vintages.‘
Which Champagne would You treat your boss?
‘My boss is a huge Drappier fan, but I would make him try something new. I think a magnum of Rare 1998 and well as magnums show that you care, it would perfectly fit for him 😉‘
Which Champagne would You treat yourself?
’There are so many amazing champagnes out there, but if I could find a Charles Heidsieck Rosé 1962 again, I would definitely go for it right away. I brought this bottle to a friend in Malmö in Sweden and we were both absolutely amazed how good this champagne was preserved. A beautiful ruby color, still a fresh effervescence and outstanding red fruits, sugary caramel aromas, almost like when you enter a candy shop. We had about 15 bottles that weekend and this one just stood out! ‘
Which Champagne would You treat a dream guest, and why?
’I would love to host Arnaud Donckele (3 Star Michelin Chef) at my place and as I know he wouldn’t come with empty hands it would be an extraordinary evening around good food and champagne. Arnaud was one of the youngest Chefs reaching the 3 Michelin Stars and learning about his mindset and to better understand the way he works with food, would be my dream. For this occasion I would open the Coffret Lieux-Dits by Selosse, since one bottle would not be enough. ‘
[what piece of music would you listen to drinking wine in question 5 ?]
‘As with champagne I love diversifications, I would start with “Thunderstruck by AC/DC” while cooking with Arnaud, then go to “Daft Punk – One more time” during the dinner and finally end up with “Hans Zimmer – Now we are free” as we open the last bottle. ‘
