The Gault&Millau issue is breathing down Catherine Cruchon’s neck. After all, the family-run Henri Cruchon winery has a reputation to uphold, as it has been listed among the best Swiss winegrowers for years. However, the 33-year-old from the canton of Vaud does not let this upset her. She has seen too much for that, gaining experience as a winemaker in the vineyards of Burgundy, South Africa, Israel and Argentina. Cruchon knows what she is doing – and has always wanted to do it: growing wine, entertaining guests, passing on her love of good wine. Her father recently handed her the reins of the winery, which Catherine is now turning towards biodynamic cultivation.
FACES: How did you get into winemaking?
Catherine Cruchon: At first I was seduced by the ambience in our cave. I am lucky enough to come from a family of winegrowers and I have always loved the lively evenings and festive atmosphere that prevailed in the cellar during the grape harvest. I did my first grape harvest at the age of eight, when I spent my school vacations making wine with my father.
F: How would you describe Domaine Henri Cruchon in one sentence?
Catherine Cruchon: A big family with a lot of passion.
F: From the idea to the concept to the winery: How long did it take you to get there?
Catherine Cruchon: It took nine years from leaving compulsory school to returning to the estate. I started with an apprenticeship as a cellar master, then completed a year of vocational training, followed by an internship and the HES in oenology, before spending a year at a winery in Oregon (USA). I then returned to the Domaine, but continued to travel for two months of the year. I then had the pleasure of working in South Africa, Israel, Burgundy and Argentina. Meeting my wife and her daughter in 2015 allowed me to reorient myself a little. They made me want to settle down and build something here. I then greatly reduced my travels, although I am still a long way from reaching my destination. The great thing about this job is that you never stop learning and improving. I still have a number of projects that I am looking forward to completing here.
F: Why do we have to buy wine from you?
Catherine Cruchon: You don’t have to. However, I encourage you to visit us, taste our wines and spend some time with us. By the time you are conquered, you should have found the answer to the question yourself.
F: What do winemakers have to think about that others don’t?
Catherine Cruchon: The weather is a very important aspect of our business. We cannot influence it, and the forecasts are not always correct. So we have to adapt. For example, if we had planned to harvest a vine and it rains, we have to wait for the rain to stop. That is why we must always remain very flexible, because it is nature that rules!
F: What are you worrying too much about?
Catherine Cruchon: I think I sometimes worry too much about what people think. I am involved in the “birth” of our wines from the grape to the bottle, a vintage is always a lot of work… If someone doesn’t like our wine and they let me know, I admit that it often affects me more than it should. I take it too much to heart, it feels a bit like being personally criticized or at least a family member. But I’m working on it, and above all I like criticism, because that’s what helps me move forward.
F: What are you like as a boss?
Catherine Cruchon: I like flat hierarchies. In return, I surround myself with people who are passionate, competent and committed and with whom I get on well. I enjoy working in a team to share our experiences and feelings and to make decisions together.
F: What qualities does a good winemaker need?
Catherine Cruchon: I think it requires humility, and you have to know how to observe nature and its ecosystem. Creativity and perseverance are also very important, as is an open mind.
F: What do you like most about wine lovers?
Catherine Cruchon: The exchange we can have with them. I like to see guests and wine lovers having a good time with us and saying goodbye with a smile.
F: What do you dislike in guests?
Catherine Cruchon: I don’t find it very pleasant when a customer asks us for a discount. I enjoy spending time with people, opening bottles to show them our wines, offering them a bottle now and then to thank them for their loyalty. On the other hand, if someone asks me for a discount, it makes me uncomfortable.
F: What are your standards for your products and your winery, and how have your guests’ expectations changed in recent years?
Catherine Cruchon: I have noticed that our customers are becoming more and more sensitive to ecological aspects, which is a good thing as we have been cultivating our vines biodynamically for more than 20 years. My aim is to continue in this direction and work on our climate neutrality, for example. I also want to offer wines that evoke emotions and let our customers know that the vines we have worked to produce this wine have been cultivated with respect for nature and their environment.
environment.
F: As a winemaker, you experience an exciting everyday life. What story do you have to tell us?
Catherine Cruchon: It’s true that we often end the day with nice anecdotes. Today a customer came by on his bike and took the opportunity to treat himself to a few bottles on his way to Lausanne. Well, did you know that you can transport a total of 24 bottles of wine on a single bike? That reminds me of another customer who knew so well how many wine crates would fit in his trolley that in the end there was really only room for himself. There was now wine in the trunk as well as in the rear and front passenger seats. My grandfather likes to tell such anecdotes, but they are becoming rarer overall, as the vast majority of our customers today prefer to indulge in fewer bottles at a time and more regularly.
F: What do you look for when you drink a wine?
Catherine Cruchon: I like to pay attention to what the wine tells me.
F: What is the best wine in the world (other than your own) that you yourself have drunk?
Catherine Cruchon: I’m a Pinot Noir lover, and the best wines I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking are those from the Lalou Bise-Leroy estate in Vosne-Romanée (France).
F: Which winery would you like to own besides your own?
Catherine Cruchon: I won’t be able to tell you. There are many winemaking colleagues who I admire and for whom I would love to work for a year, for example as an intern. But I have no desire to own anything other than our property.
F: Where is your bed?
Catherine Cruchon: Not in the vineyard, but in the heart of the Morges region.
What Catherine Cruchon says about…
Sangria: I like it fresh and not too sweet.
Cork collector: Is that a profession? I don’t even know him…
Tipping: I like to be generous with tips. During my studies, I worked in a wine bar. That’s when I learned how important tipping is. For the customer, it doesn’t change the price of the evening by much, while for the person receiving the tip, it’s a very nice bonus at the end of the day.
Beer drinker: Nobody is perfect.
Wines with screw caps: And it’s gone (the cap). Let’s try the wine.
Sustainability: That is the core of my work: the land does not belong to us, we are only its humble farmers for a lifetime.
Wine glasses: Zalto is a remarkable glass manufacturer. I love tasting in these glasses.
Wine guide: I love you too (not).
Chocolate: I am a big chocolate fan. I prefer dark varieties with nuts or as ice cream.
Spittoons: They are indispensable for professional tastings.
Cat: Ouch!
The Henri Cruchon winery
You could say that wine has always run through the veins of the Cruchon family. In 1976, Henri Cruchon, the scion of a winegrowing dynasty, finally founded his own domaine. The sons join them, their wives and at some point the grandchildren. And so the wine near Lake Geneva is now being produced by the third generation and is so environmentally friendly that the Cruchons’ wines even carry the Demeter seal. Sixteen grape varieties grow here in a mosaic on several vineyards, the majority of which are produced biodynamically, pressed on site and bottled for guests to enjoy later.
Domaine Henri Cruchon, Route du Village, 1112 Echichens, Switzerland, www.henricruchon.com
Catherine Cruchon
Wine is not just alcoholic grape juice. Behind every bottle is a story and people like Catherine Cruchon, the third generation winemaker to help shape the Henri Cruchon family winery. At the latest when the subject of biodynamics comes up, the eyes of the young woman from western Switzerland light up like those of her guests after their first sip of Pinot Noir.
Here you can find an interview with another Cool Host.
