Thierry Constantin, former Swiss marathon champion with a record time of 2 hours and 14 minutes, has found a new field of activity as a winemaker that is equally characterized by dedication and precision.
Today, he works alone in his cellar near Sion and admits that he finds it difficult to delegate. His life revolves entirely around wine, a passion that has accompanied him since childhood. Even in kindergarten he knew he wanted to be a winemaker, and even today the work never feels like a burden to him. When he took over his father's winery in 1995, he had clear ideas: He no longer wanted to sell grapes, but to produce his own wine. Of the original 12 hectares, he kept only 6.5 hectares of the best terroir for the grape varieties he wanted to plant. His main focus was on gastronomy, which today accounts for two thirds of his clientele. Constantin attaches great importance to precision and patience, allowing his wines to mature for a long time. "I focus on more extraction and want to maintain the tension," he explains. His white wines in particular, which never undergo a second fermentation, mature on the lees and are only sold after two winters. His philosophy: less intervention, more quality. At 54 years old, he is in no hurry to let his vines age, which increases the quality. He is particularly proud of his Païen, which he ages in barriques, as well as his "vin de voile", which is characterized by oxidation. Constantin is convinced that a good wine can only be made by carefully tending the vines and selecting the best grapes.
As a known perfectionist, he does not shy away from any work, even if it is hard. He is like those aesthetes whose conviction underlies every stage of wine culture, vine care, winemaking, the search for a great wine. With this inclination to a job well done, with love and energy, excellent, authentic wines are produced every year.
