Louis Latour Agencies

Gosset Matchmakers & Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council Awards 2019 Winners Trip

19 March 2020

Gosset Matchmakers is a competition for emerging chefs and sommeliers which focuses on teamwork and the creation of champagne and food pairings. In an unusual turn of events, 2019 the sommelier in what would be the winning team was stranded overseas on the day of the competition, and a colleague stepped in to take his place. This means that for the first time we officially have a winning team of three: Chef Piero Italiano, with Sommeliers Pierre Chaplaut- Maestracci and Oskars Mickans. Piero and Pierre are pictured below with Jean-Pierre Cointreau. 

The Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council Awards recognise the best silversmiths and jewellers in the UK. Since 2019 Gosset has sponsored a 2D Design prize for silversmiths who are asked to respond to a brief created by Champagne Gosset. 2019 winner is David Stonehouse was asked to design a new trophy for Gosset’s Trophée Celebris, a French award, now in its 26th year that recognises a chef’s social enterprise project. David is pictured with Jean-Pierre Cointreau below. 

Piero, Pierre and David joined us on February’s trip with Matchmaker Judge Sommelier Melody Wong and journalist Lucy Britner for Imbibe magazine. Oskars will join us on a trip later this year.

This was the first competition winner’s prize where we brought winners from two very different disciplines together for a two day period that comprised of visits to the vineyards and cellars and a special base wine masterclass with Gosset’s chef de caves Odilon de Varine. Piero, Pierre and David each brought different experiences and perspectives with them and it was especially interesting to learn through David’s eyes an experienced product designer and craftsman from a different field.

The base wines masterclass really brings home the skill and experience needed by a chef de caves to create a range of balanced and consistent wines each year. Odilon began by explaining his approach to blending for Gosset and what he looks for in each cru to make up the different characteristics needed for a balanced still wine. We then tasted a selection of Chardonnays blind, from crus in the Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs and Côte de Sezanne and discussed each person’s thoughts before working in teams to create our own wines. It’s a fascinating experience and one that, at Champagne Gosset, is reserved for winners of this competition.

Here are some photos from the base wine blending masterclass.

We would like to thank Piero’s employer The Dysart Arms and Pierre’s employer Heritage for giving them time to join us on this trip.

More information about 2019 Gosset Matchmakers competition on Imbibe's website.

To register your interest in 2020 Gosset Matchmakers competition contact Rebecca Fraser.

For more information about the Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council visit their website.