The daughter of a château owner. A sommelier. A golfer. The son of a photographer…There’s a lot of young talent in the wine business, coming from different directions. These 30 are rising to the top.
We canvassed our colleagues in the world of wine to find the most creative and accomplished young talent in wine today. All of them are 30 years old or younger; some of them make wine, while others sell it. All of them are names to know: This is the next generation in wine.
“Two thousand and five was a great year to start,” says the young Vauthier. “I was very warmly welcomed, without hesitation. It was a very easy integration into the team.”
The château has been in her family’s hands since the end of the 17th century, and Pauline has spent her life preparing for this responsibility—starting agricultural school at 15, earning a degree in viticulture and enology and working a harvest in South Africa at the Morgenster estate. “I’ve always wanted to work at Ausone,” she states matter-of-factly. She seems to share the same sensibilities as her father, driving the estate towards organic viticultural practices. “We’re not certified organic,” she admits, “but we are for all intents and purposes. It’s personal—we want to avoid chemical products. Today, you have to work that way.” Since her arrival, the team has been conducting early trials in biodynamics. They’ve also adopted a more natural approach in the cellar, renovating it for the 2010 vintage based on gravity flow. “It’s my father’s idea but one that I’m pursuing. An educated agriculture.”
This story was featured in W&S Fall 2011.
This story appears in the print issue of fal 2011.
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