Activities

Those who attended the Spring Chapter, organised at the Hotel La Réserve in Bellevue, Geneva, to celebrate Château Cos d’Estournel, will be able to testify to having had the privilege of taking part in a unique and historic event.
We had a record attendance in the history of our Commanderie for a Spring Chapter. The Commandeurs and guests confirmed our desire to celebrate Cos, which is so dear to our hearts, and to do so in the magical setting of La Réserve.

Dimitri Augenblick, founder of the wonderful Twentywine wine club (www.twentywine.ch), and member of the family, was on hand to accompany us on our journey and tell us all about this family estate. This wine expert, former Director of Development at Château Cos d’Estournel, brought Cos to life through a wealth of details and anecdotes. He had a big surprise in store for us: to round off the primeur campaign in style, Dimitri brought the primeur wines from the Place de Bordeaux to Bellevue, giving us a unique opportunity to take part in this great moment in the life of the Bordeaux wine merchants.

To round off our 2023 vintage, 87 people came to celebrate our Gala chapter at the Lausanne Palace. This memorable evening was orchestrated with mastery and refinement by our esteemed Chapter Manager Daria Shalunova, whose expertise and dedication were essential to the success of this event. Her keen eye for detail, creativity and professionalism created an unforgettable evening for all the participants who had travelled from many different places in the world. As for our Vinothecaire Andrew Bayles, he brought out the nuggets that had been patiently selected and carefully preserved over many years, making them shine in our glasses in perfect harmony with the subtle dishes served.

When Château Giscours was announced as being the wine for this Chapter, registrations went through the roof, reaching a staggering 98 participants – a record for an autumn chapter!

Our Chapter Manager, Daria Shalunova, had to be inventive, pushing the walls here and there to ensure that all the participants could enjoy this special moment in the comfort of the Grand Bellevue hotel.

Our guest of honour, Laure Bastard, Director of Château Giscours, captivated the audience with a wealth of anecdotes, as well as an educational film about the estate of rare quality.

The Board has expressed its gratitude to Daniel Koetser, owner and President of the Grand Bellevue Hotel, as well as to Fabian Nusser, General Manager, and the entire team for their hard work in making our stay as memorable as it was comfortable.

We were 83 people to welcome and celebrate Claire and Gonzague Lurton! That was a record number in the history of our Commanderie for a summer chapter. We were able to discover multiple wines coming from Château Durfort-Vivens, Château Ferrière, Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Château La Gurgue and Acaibo. No less than 17 different wines were tasted, accompanied by the informative and passionate comments of their makers.

The chapter took place in the idyllic setting of the Restaurant des Trois Tours in Bourguillon (near Fribourg), under the attentive eye of the chef Romain Paillereau, who was able to marry with talent his delicate and elegant cuisine with such fine wines from Bordeaux. This task was in fact for him only a formality, as he originates from Bordeaux.

The first Chapter of the year celebrated the wines of the Right Bank, specifically those of Saint-Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, renowned for their high quality, complexity and uniqueness. A magnificent tasting of exceptional wines was organised with care and dedication by our Vinothécaire, enhanced by the lively wines of Clos Pachem from Priorat in Spain.

To accompany these exciting wines, the Michelin-starred chef Andrés Arocena from the restaurant La Micheline in Geneva offered us a new gastronomic universe, which charmed the hearts and taste buds of the guests.

The 2022 gala was held in the ballroom of the prestigious Hotel Président Wilson, Geneva. Chris Myers, Director, Château Palmer, commented the exceptional millésimes that accompanied a splendid menu. Over 100 Commandeurs were able to appreciate the wines of Château Palmer, among the finest domains of Margaux.

The tasting, workshop and dinner on Saturday, 1 October, were built around the exceptional wines of Château Kirwan, situated on the plateau de Cantenac, Margaux. In 1787 Thomas Jefferson visited Château Kirwan. He classified Quirouan as 2nd Appellation Margaux. The Kirwan estate was acquired by the Schyler family in 1904. The Commanderie was pleased to welcome Ms. Sophie Schyler Thierry, owner. Sophie joined us from Bordeaux, presenting the estate, terroir, vineyard and wines during the tasting and dinner.

7 new Commandeurs were welcomed into the Commanderie.

Chef and owner Angelo Citiulo welcomed the Commanderie to La Closerie, situated in Cologny, Geneva.
Youmna and Tony Asseily, owners of Château Biac, joined the event, presenting a splendid selection of Château Biac’s red, white and dessert wines. The Commanderie was pleased to be able to induct 3 new members.

Auberge de l’Onde, Saint-Saphorin hosted the Commanderie. The venue is the former house of the Confrérie du Saint-Esprit founded in the 13th century. 3 new Commandeurs were inducted during the Spring event.

COVID delayed the celebration of the Commanderie’s 40th anniversary which was rescheduled and took place in November 2021. The highlight was the presence of Baron Eric de Rothschild who addressed us and commented various millésimes of Château Lafite and Château Rieussec with which we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Commanderie’s establishment. There were 139 attendees of this exceptional event which also celebrated the induction of 5 new Commandeurs.