Nicolas Charrière, Peninsula Paris Hotel’s newest sommelier

How would you describe your career up to this point ?

It’s been pretty unusual ! I studied hospitality and earned an advanced technician’s certificate in culinary engineering and arts, then I completed a specialisation in overall service quality.

How many sommeliers work on your team ?

I employ a team of six sommeliers and an intern to provide wine service in our three restaurants : Lobby ; Oiseau blanc, which features the chef Christophe Raoux ; and Lili, our Chinese restaurant. However, we might expand our teams this summer to ensure the service expected from a luxury hotel like ours.

Why did you leave the George V and join the Peninsula ?

It was a promotion ! At the George V, a venue that’s full of prestigious and perfectly selected bottles, I was the assistant sommelier beneath Thierry Hamon. Here, I’m the head sommelier, and we stock 700 different types of wines from all kinds of designations.

The sommelier, who was born in Berry before making Paris his home, pays special attention to the restaurant Lili. © DR

It seems you don’t feature a lot of French wines on your menu ?

In terms of French labels, we have a great selection of wines from the Loire Valley, Alsace, the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, and Languedoc. We plan on expanding our offer even more to provide our customers with a wider range of products.

Are southern French wines popular this summer ?

Yes. Summer is here, and the 2017 rosés are already showing up on the menu and being served in bottles. Our customers can also order glasses if they really want to delight their taste buds.

What are the price of the less expensive and most expensive bottle ?

Prices start at 35 € with a 2015 Languedoc from Jean-Marc Boillot vineyards. Our most expensive bottle is a Pauillac from Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de la Lande that was bottled in 1908, the year in which the building of the Peninsula hotel was constructed. It is for sale on the menu for 25 000 €.

Nicolas Charrière offers vertical tastings of his best vintages in front of the most stunning views of Paris. © DR

What white wine would you recommend to compliment the Cantonese flavours of your restaurant, Lili ?

Cantonese cuisine is extremely diverse, but I will go out on a limb to say that the palette of wines from Madeira goes very well with certain dishes like glazed duck. We serve a 1994 semi-dry produced from a Verdelho varietal from the D'Oliveiras winery. It pairs well with hoisin sauce, a brown, slightly sweet sauce made from soya and peanuts.

How about red wines ?

I’d recommend relatively spicy wines from the Rhone Valley, like a 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine le Vieux Donjon. These vineyards are located in the northern part of this designation, and the producer of this refreshing and structured wine retains the fruit and pomace during the fermentation process.

If you were a refreshing summer wine, what would you be ?

A rosé from Provence !

The former International Conference Centre on Avenue Kléber has become one of the most iconic luxury hotels in Paris. © DR