Marie spent most of her career working in hospitality. At Château de Pommard, she heads our Concierge team and is always looking to improve and personalize our guest experiences. Today, she tells us all about her passion and career for hospitality.
What is your role at Château de Pommard?
I am Concierge Manager at Château de Pommard. My role is to welcome our guests every day at the Château and to ensure that they fully enjoy their visits in Burgundy, and especially their time with us. My team is composed of two other people, Pauline and Jeremy. We work together with the wine advisors team to provide the best experience to our visitors, from the moment they step onto our property until long after.
What types of skills are necessary in this position?
Resourcefulness is key when it comes to satisfying our guests' wishes. We constantly strive for a 100% satisfaction rate, but each individual is unique, so we have to be creative and anticipate the needs of our visitors.
You've worked in hospitality for a long time. What are your favorite things about this industry?
I have been working in luxury hospitality for more than ten years. From 2007 to 2020, I was constantly encountering new people and new environments. I love the excitement of offering a similar experience to the guests I work with every day. It's an immense joy and pride to welcome people in beautiful places like Château de Pommard and to be a part of these unforgettable memories.
How do you contribute to this unforgettable experience?
The Concierge team is the first smile that our visitors get to see when they arrive at the Château, and we always welcome them warmly. This first contact point must be perfect otherwise it can affect the rest of the experience. We want our guests to feel dazzled by the place and privileged to be visiting Château de Pommard. It's such a magical place and the wines are simply sumptuous.
Which of our Clos Marey-Monge cuvées is your favorite?
If I could only choose one Clos Marey-Monge wine, I would certainly go for Nicolas-Joseph. I've always loved this wine because of its incredible complexity, vintage after vintage. Nicolas-Joseph comes from limestone-rich soils with red clay, which produces a fruity Pinot Noir. The plot also holds some of the oldest vines in the Clos (almost 80-year-old).
How would you describe Nicolas-Joseph 2019?
Nicolas-Joseph 2019 reveals floral aromas along with ripe black fruits and sweet spices that are consistent from the nose to the palate. It is a generous Pommard with silky, supple tannins.
Hospitality is key in Château de Pommard's rebirth project. What is your vision? How is your work going to be affected?
I am truly excited about this project! We are thrilled to reimagine a unique vision of the Château's future, by bringing it back to life, just like we are doing with our soils through the organic and biodynamic conversion. Thankfully, this shift has already begun, even at the hospitality level. Our guests have been at the center of our strategy for years, and we will keep improving this vision in the future. In the coming year, we will take hospitality to the next level with more personalized services. This will require new strategies, a bigger team, and great support but I'm confident we're going in the right direction.
How will you guide your team throughout this change and include them in your strategy?
I'm lucky enough to work with a team with whom I share both this vision as well as the Château's values. I try to involve them in these early stages of preparation because it is important to keep them up to date with what is happening and what we should expect in the coming months. This is how I strive to keep my team motivated.