Éric GOETTELMANN

Head sommelier : 1 restaurant Head sommelier at Relais Bernard Loiseau, Éric Goettelmann is a hard worker who has won one of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including Meilleur ouvrier de France sommellerie.

Presentation

Son of a chef, athletic by nature, never having drunk a drop of alcohol... At the age of 20, Éric Goettelmann was more interested in boxing than sommellerie. However, a meeting with some wine enthusiasts turned his life upside down. "They talked to me about aromas, flavours, dress... It seemed pretty fantastic to be able to find all that just in a glass of wine." His decision was made: he would become a sommelier. But not just any sommelier. With the support of his mentor, Georges Pertuiset (Best Sommelier of France 1980), he obtained his professional sommelier diploma with the congratulations of the jury. That same year, he was also named France's Best Sommelier.

After these studious studies, he found his place within the Bernard Loiseau group. Expecting to stay for just two years, he served there for over twenty years, rising to the position of Executive Chef Sommelier. After a spell with Paul Bocuse in 2020, he returned to the Loiseau group the following year.

In parallel with his work, the sommelier set himself a new challenge: to obtain a master's degree in international trade in wines and spirits. Mission accomplished when he finished top of his class in marketing and tasting and won the prize for best thesis. The successes didn't stop there. In 2018, he was awarded the gold level diploma of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), the profession's highest distinction. The consecration was complete when he became Meilleur ouvrier de France sommellerie. "A promise made to my daughter.

I. B.