Meet Andréa Chassaing, winner of the 2021 Gassier in Provence Challenge
In 2021, at the end of a very enriching morning at Château Gassier, it was Andrea Chassaing from the La Rochelle Hospitality School who was named winner of the 2021 Gassier Challenge. This challenge is an excellent career springboard for all of the students who took part, most of whom have never taken part in a wine competition before. We had the opportunity to meet with Andréa Chassaing once again this year as has was participating in the 2022 Gassier Challenge, although this time as a member of the jury.
Andréa Chassaing, a great sommelier in the making
As a former student sommelier at the La Rochelle Hospitality School, Andréa Chassaing, originally from Auvergne, is now sommelier at the Pavillon Ledoyen, situated in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, where he works alongside the world famous Chef Yannick Alléno who has twice been awarded 3 Michelin stars.
We made the most of his participation in the 4th edition of the Gassier Challenge to ask him a few questions. Good timing!
Do you have an anecdote from the 2021 Gassier Challenge to share with us?
Andréa : « I think that what really stood out for me in the 2021 Challenge was meeting Philippe Faure-Brac who is a highly renowned sommelier, not just in France but around the world. »
Where are you working now?
Andréa : «I’m currently assistant sommelier at the Pavillon Ledoyen alongside Chef Yannick Alléno.’ [Since the interview, Andréa is no longer assistant sommelier but rather sommelier at the Pavillon Ledoyen!]»
What is your objective as a sommelier ?
Andréa :«My objective is most importantly to enjoy my work and to share this enjoyment with my clients. I would also like to use my profession and my passion in order to discover the wine regions of France and the whole world.»
We then discussed his participation as jury member for the 4th edition of the challenge. Having been named as the winner of last year’s challenge, it is tradition for the previous year’s winner to be invited as a member of the jury the following year. Andréa was delighted to have been asked to take part !
What was your favorite pairing, or the pairing that most surprised you?
Andréa : « I very much liked the cheese pairing suggested by Lou, one of the winner’s of the 2022 Challenge. She suggested serving the cheese with a solera aged rosé. I found that very interesting and I can’t wait to try it out !»
Could you suggest a pairing for one of Château Gassier’s wines ?
Andréa : «I would choose the cuvée Esprit Gassier, a light and refreshing wine, to pair with a starter from Chef Alléno which we serve at the Pavillon Ledoyen: it’s a Man’ouché, a Lebanese bread soaked in curry and served with an aromatic herb salad. This rosé would bring a wonderful freshness to the starter which I think would work very well indeed !»
It is now in Paris, in one of the trendiest districts of the city, that Andréa Chassaing will be continuing his promising career as a sommelier. All of the team at Château Gassier would like to wish him all the best for the future of his career.
