Sabine Walter in conversation with ...
Lucila Pfeiffer, sommelière and wine merchant
Ms Pfeiffer, what do you love about your job?
This is a story that began in my childhood. I come from a family of artists where food and drink have always played a big role. My mother is Argentinian. I was born in Brazil, have lived in Germany and Argentina and am Growing up with pleasure from an early age. And I was also allowed to drink a large glass of soda with a small shot of wine as a child. "So that you can learn to appreciate the taste of our culture".that's what my parents used to say. But maybe they just wanted me to get tired earlier and go to bed earlier (laughs).
But before I came to wine, it was food that shaped me. After my Abitur in Hamburg, I went back to Argentina and learned to cook with my grandma. Later, I also started my Training as a cook in Argentina.
For economic reasons I left in the year 2014 my South American homeland and went alone back to Germany. Here, too, I first worked as a cook, but increasingly integrated wine into my work. I recommended wines with food and always flirted with leaving the kitchen altogether.
2 ½ years ago I took the plunge and did my sommelier training at the IHK.. Since then I have not only worked as Wine merchant for the gastronomy, but also advise restaurants on their wine selection and write wine lists for her.
Chin-Chin Berlin: Wine is tradition and the love of sharing
Parallel to this I have my heart project started. The "Chin-Chin" in Berlin. There I can Hostess and wine ambassador be equally. How do I do that? I teach Tastings People together who are interested in wine and want to know more about it. I share my experience, knowledge and enjoyment.
Wine is more than red or white or dry or sweet. Wine is more than "drinking". Wine is culture, sensory. Wine is work. Wine is also the people who make it. Wine is tradition and the love of sharing.
Let's take Argentina and Germany. The wines that these countries produce are as different as the "terroire", i.e. the people, the climate and the soil. The Argentinean sun is found in the hearts of the people, in the soil and, of course, in the taste. And with Argentina there is even a special feature. Many Argentine winemakers are immigrants. They originally come from Italy, Spain or France. Making wine is a family tradition for them. And you can taste this pride in what they have been creating for generations.
Germany, on the other hand, pays a lot of attention to the finesse of the wines. Here, too, the terroir is reflected in the wine. Leading power is the Riesling with its playful sweetness and acidity. Family tradition is also a big issue here. With German red wine, on the other hand, the temperament is somewhat restrained. I think here, too, the wine reflects aspects of German culture. The sun counteracts this somewhat. Because: the hotter the years, the more spirited the German red wines.
What parallels are there to what we do, personality development?
Personal development has many facets. One of them is getting to know oneself better. And wine offers the perfect bridge. When you are tasting a wine, tasting it, it is best to close your eyes. "What moment does the taste remind me of? What is going on inside me right now? What emotions are awakened? Do I like what I am tasting right now?" These can all be questions that accompany such a tasting.
Of course, it's also about taste. But you should always take the time to get to know the wine. In addition, many find Tastings takes place in the group, so with other people. Conversations arise, people listen, people ask questions. You get to know others and, through them, you always get to know a bit of yourself.
When I my customers within the framework of a tasting Wine present, I always also present a part of its history, its culture. The broadens the horizon - this too is Part of personality development.
The other parallel is with me. I evolve with every tasting, with every new person, with every new wine I meet. I taste up to 60 wines a day. I taste things that I like, that remind me of something and I have new experiences.
Wine can bring us from the head to the heart, from thinking to feeling.
When do you get the best ideas?
On holiday. I spend most of my holidays at wineries, including many small ones that produce sustainably.
And when I sit in the vineyard in the evening, a glass of wine in my hand, the best ideas come to me. Who is interested in what I have experienced, seen and tasted today? With whom can I share it? What food do the wines I tasted go with?
And the answers to these questions come precisely at such moments.
What will your profession look like in 2050?
More comprehensive than now. Interest in wine has been growing steadily for years. Some interested people even train to become sommeliers. Tastings are more and more in demand and awareness of good quality food, good drinks and enjoyment is growing.
I expect this development to continue. Whereas wine used to be more in demand among the over-40 age group from socially better-off circles, today there are already many young people who drink wine and want to know more about it.
So I will have to deal with an even broader target group in the future - from chief physicians at the Charité to twenty-somethings celebrating a bachelor party.
As more people engage with wine on its own merits, the questions they ask me become more interesting and challenging. So I have the incentive to open up everything that has to do with wine even more. I think that in 2050, even the last of those who now look with respect at wine and wine connoisseurs will have put aside their shyness and timidity and will take part in a tasting with pleasure.
Lucila Pfeiffer is trained chef and sommelière. She works as a wine merchant and runs the Chin-Chin, a platform for private wine tastings. Within this framework, the wine ambassador comes to the customer's home and conducts a very personal wine tasting. Based on a suggested theme, such as South America, she immerses herself in the world of grapes for an evening with her customers. This is accompanied by wine and matching home-cooked delicacies.
PS: To my last question: "If you were to describe yourself with one wine, what would it be?"Lucila Pfeiffer replies:
In fact, no one has ever asked me this question. It would definitely be a complex wine; very fruity, light acidity. I think it would be a Sauvignon Blanc with a note of pineapple. It would be a Sauvignon Blanc Réserve, matured in wooden barrels, with a certain smoothness and well combinable with exotic dishes.
