Tristan Pommier
29th of December 2021
Chief Somm' of the St Regis Hongkong and Restaurant Director of a two Michelin star restaurant
Tristan began his sommelier training in a prestigious Lycée Hôtelier sommelier school in Brittany, France at the age of 19. Since then, he climbed the ladder of the sommelier hierarchy, starting with his first job of commis sommelier at the Dorchester in London, an Alain Ducasse restaurant, up to the Chief Sommelier of the incredible St Regis hotel in Hongkong. Along the way, Tristan was also part of the team that has opened the two Michelin-starred L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Shanghai as the Chief Sommelier.
Tristan is always aiming for perfection and on the lookout for unique wines to be offered to his guests. On his wine list are even exclusive labels that can't be found anywhere in Hongkong except on the "l'Envol" winelist, the French restaurant of the St Regis Hotel Hongkong.
We got the chance to ask a few questions to Tristan. Here are his answers.
Name : Tristan Pommier
Nationality : French
Birth year : 1991
What region would you pick for a bottle of your vintage?
That’s not an easy answer, as it was a difficult vintage, but I would pick the Champagne region with a cuvee that I will definitely remember all my life : “Delamotte 91 collection”. Also a 1991 landonne Guigal in Rhone.
But more generally, I would pick Australia.
What's for your favorite varietal ? and why?
Also very difficult question! I would say Pinot Noir if I had to choose as this is a varietal very aromatic, with a lot of finesse and you can see a real impact of the terroir (plus am a big fan of Bourgogne)
Any varietal you don’t get along well ?
I would say Viognier. You can find great wine of course but in general this is the one I like less than others
What do you drink when you don't have a glass of wine in your hand?
Beer, I really like beer, and any kind of beer. I have friends that offered me a beer tap for my place so times to times, after a long day at work, a nice cold draft beer is amazing
Let's say you are alone, at home, what's your favorite casual food and wine pairing for dinner?
I would go for a selection of different cheeses with a nice back vintage red from the southern Rhone
What is your favorite wine region, not to drink, but to visit ?
In terms of landscape, Barolo, Madeira are absolutely amazing… but a key criteria for me to plan visit is who will I meet. I have a lot of contact in Loire so I always love to visite le ligeria
If you had to save one bottle from your cellar being on fire, which one would it be?
Rayas 2007 as I really want to see what it gives in 10/15 years
Do you/Did you have a role model/a mentor in the wine/sommelier world? If so, who ?
Yes absolutely. Vincent Pastorello for example. They taught me to aim for the perfection
Best advice you ever received?
Stay humble, remain curious
Imagine you have been cursed !! You are only able to drink 1 red wine and 1 white wine until your life end. What would it be?
Red : A Burgundy (my favorite region), Bonnes mares – Domaines d’Auvenay
White : I would go for a Champagne, a Ulysse Collin, Les pierieres (blanc de blanc) as its very fresh and crispy
What is your next step/objective in the wine/sommelier world?
Keep discovering new wine regions, new estates and share my passion and knowledge of wine to clients but also sommeliers in my team
Champagne, Cava or Franciacorta?
Champagne
In the city you currently live in, do you have a favorite wine shop for Champagne or other wine categories that you love to go to?
Yes, I really like to go to “Avize” wine shop in Hongkong. They have a great selection of Champagne and always some new cuvees to discover. For the wine, I really enjoy to go to Oz terroirs focusing on Australian wines.
