Name: Stephane Ogier
Winery: Domaine M & S Ogier
Town/Country: Ampuis, France
vineyards” Robert Parker
Which spot in your vineyard is the most special and why?
Here, in Côte-Rôtie, we are very lucky to have a mosaic of terroirs. Each one has its own history, its own characteristics, and its own taste. It is this richness that makes the identity of Côte-Rôtie and its particularity. So it is too difficult to choose one spot, it is the plurality that is the most special and exciting. And what I prefer is revealing in my wines the specificity of each terroir.
If you link the dots in your life, which experience was the most crucial relating to how you make your wine today?
I was very lucky to travel a lot before coming back to the family wine estate. I spent some years in South Africa, which was really exciting, but I think the most crucial experience was my 4 years in Burgundy. It is in Burgundy that I learned about the subtlety between a Village, a Premier Cru and a Grand Cru and it helped me a lot to classify my terroirs today.
What kind of music do you enjoy listening to when making wine in your cellar?
I always listen to music that makes me happy and gives me positive energy! I usually listen to radio actually in the cellar, with very eclectic choices, from pop to classic music.
Name a regional dish from your area, which matches best with one of your wines.
We are very lucky in Ampuis to be surrounded by legendary restaurants, since the region (quite close to Lyon) is the cradle of French Gastronomy. Mythical chefs like Fernand Point who ran La Pyramide restaurant (one of the first 3 Michelin stars in the 50s) made Pigeon legs and supremes, agria fondant potatoes with cocoa, dressed with Tonka bean sauce.
Name a restaurant from your recent travels around the world, which changed the way you thought about food and why?
La Pyramide restaurant, with today’s Chef Mr Patrick Henriroux, who is a magician to sublimate our wines with its cooking.
If your wine would die, who or what would it come back as (person/animal)?
This is a difficult question to answer! I think it could come back as a horse, because it is a very fine and elegant animal, but with a strong character, the perfect alliance between strength and elegance. In Europe, the horse is associated with power and richness, but it is also known as a great friend for humans, as the wine I think!
