Sarah Müller (35) from Düdingen, physiotherapist, likes to spend her free time hiking, mushroom picking, cooking and traveling.
Rhoneblut: Mrs. Müller, how long have you been a customer of Albert Mathier & Sons?
SM: Since the summer of 2018, a good year and a half ago.
RB: How did you become aware of our wines?
SM: Through acquaintances. Last summer, they organized a three-day hiking trip in the Upper Valais. Including a tasting visit to Albert Mathier & Söhne AG. With tour of the farm and fine food. That’s when I literally got a taste for it.
RB: Please tell us your favorite(s) from our range?
SM: At the aforementioned tasting, I was immediately taken with two wines in particular: the Rhoneblut® and the white Domaine de Ravoire®. Love at first sip, so to speak. A love that lasts, because the two still come regularly on the table with us.
RB: Apart from the Upper Valais, what other wine provenances and varieties do you particularly like?
SM: I can’t say that so easily. Basically, however, it is rather the Europeans, more precisely: French, Germans, Austrians and Italians, whom I prefer. Depending on the mood, meteorological conditions or menu plan, this could be, for example, a rosé from Provence, a Gewürztraminer from Alsace, a Riesling from the Palatinate or a Barolo from Italy. However, I have never said no to a Chardonnay from California.
RB: How, where and when do you prefer to enjoy wine?
SM: Basically in a cozy atmosphere, for two or with family and friends. For the aperitif at the end of the day. And with a good meal anyway.
RB: Do your wine preferences vary by season, and if so, how?
SM: In spring and summer I prefer white wine, rosé or sometimes a light, chilled red wine. Of course, this is also due to the somewhat lighter cuisine and the warmer temperatures. Accordingly, in autumn and winter, when the reading on the thermometer drops and the cuisine becomes more hearty, it may well be a heavy red.
RB: How and where do you find out about wines, novelties and news?
SM: I hardly inform myself actively, except that I have already asked in the specialized trade what would go well with the dinner planned for the evening and have been advised accordingly. However, I always like to try out new things, for example on vacation, and let myself be surprised by friends’ favorite wines when they invite me.
RB: Are wine ratings (Parker scores, Weinwisser, Michael Broadbent, etc.) relevant to you?
SM: To be honest: no. I’m only interested in my personal taste. Why should I let myself spoil the pleasure of a wine I love just because it gets a lousy rating from a specialist?
RB: In a nutshell, why do you buy wine from us?
SM: The visit and tasting at your winery did several things for me. On the one hand, I really liked the friendly family atmosphere, the tour was impressive and informative for me – it was my first in a winery. On the other hand, I realized once again that I don’t have to travel far to find good wine, that is, what Switzerland has to offer in terms of first-class reds and whites. And as mentioned at the outset, the Rhoneblut® and Domaine de Ravoire® blanc have been a fixture on my wine shopping list for the past year and a half.
