Wine & Gourmet ToursRegional delicacies, selected restaurants and fascinating market visits

From an early age, gastronomy and enjoyment have run through my life like a golden thread. To me, enjoyment means living consciously and in the moment. After studying economics and holding various positions in marketing, I finally found my footing in the gourmet industry. So I have arrived where I belong. Today I can pass on my expertise as a wine academic as a lecturer, tour escort and manager of a vinoteca in Bern. For me, wine unites nature, culture and enjoyment in a unique way, and radiates a constancy like almost no other product. Especially in our fast-moving, digitalised world, this is a value that is growing in importance. And where can such a fascinating luxury be experienced better than right at its place of origin, together with the right dishes and stories? I look forward to many shared moments of enjoyment!

My love of wine was kindled during an extended stay in the Valais while I was training in tourism management. It was a fascinating time of rediscovering forgotten grape varieties, and I became aware of how profound the world of wine is – which made me curious for more. Over the years I shaped national wine fairs before deepening my passion in organising exclusive boutique events around enjoyment and wine. Today, as a wine academic, I also share my knowledge and enthusiasm in seminars and masterclasses, and I take pleasure in being an official «Rioja Wine Educator» as well. What fascinates me about wine is the magic behind it: from an unassuming, gnarled vine, thanks to the craftsmanship of a winemaker, a masterpiece of impressive complexity and depth can emerge, one that you never forget for the rest of your life. That captivates me again and again.

I spent the first twenty years of my life in Florence. As the daughter and granddaughter of a hotelier family, I learned very early on to value hospitality and contact with people. After training at the tourism college in Zurich, I worked for a few years at the Automobile Club of Switzerland until my first child was born. Since 1998 I have worked for the company Bindella Weine in sales at fairs and events. You can meet me, for example, every year at Expovina in Zurich. For five years I accompanied groups of wine lovers on wine tours to Italy. I enjoy making people happy and whisking them away to another world for a few days. Away from the daily grind, you can devote yourself without a care to the beautiful things in life: good wine, fine food, new contacts, stimulating conversation, fun moments, lovely landscapes and warm hospitality. I look forward to making you happy too and giving you unforgettable moments!

Through my training in hospitality and during my first working years in top-class hotels, I quickly discovered the joy and pleasure of wine. In 1989 I founded the wine merchant Jeggli Weine, and since then I have devoted myself with great heart and enthusiasm to independent wines with character. With us you will find great wines from many corners of the world, but not the kind you can find on every corner. I stand for high quality, enjoyable wine culture and authenticity. Our wines come from smaller winemakers and wine estates, most of whom I have known personally for many years through visits and repeated meetings. And so it happens that I only offer wines that I enjoy drinking myself and about which I am absolutely enthusiastic - so I can inspire you too!

I run, in the fourth generation, the wine house Weinvogel SA Vogel on the Weinbergstrasse in Zurich, originally specialised in wines from South Tyrol and neighbouring Trentino. After completing a degree in economics at the University of Fribourg and a few years in banking, I joined the family wine trading business in 2007. After some time I was able to extend the range to the whole of Italy, without losing the focus on South Tyrolean wines. Our family is particularly connected to South Tyrol through our own wine estate, Premstallerhof in St. Magdalena near Bolzano. Alongside my profession, or rather my passion for good wines, I sit on the city council of Zurich.

Chandra Kurt is one of Switzerland's leading wine authors. She studied at the Universities of Zurich and Lausanne, as well as at the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. Chandra Kurt has written more than 20 books on wine, including «Reisen mit Wein» and «Chasselas – Von Féchy bis Dézaley». Since 2015 she has also been the editor of the quarterly wine magazine «Weinseller Journal». Kurt works nationally and internationally as a wine consultant and is a member of the Circle of Wine Writers in London, the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne and the Confrérie du Guillon. She lives in Zurich.