ALFRED TESSERON, THE PROGRESSIVE LEADER OF PONTET-CANET
By REBECCA GIBB — WINE SEARCHER Monday, 17-Mar-2014
Alfred Tesseron is a man with a twinkle in his eye and great vision.
In his 20 years at the helm of Pauillac estate Château Pontet-Canet, he has introduced unconventional methods including green harvesting, biodynamics and now amphorae. He reveals the ups and downs of his career.
Interview by Rebecca Gibb
Were you always destined to be in the wine and spirits game?
When I was a kid I dreamed of being a farmer, not to be in wine. Some kids want to be firemen or policemen or whatever, but I wanted to be a farmer. So I am a farmer specializing in grapes. Always on Sunday, my father would open wine for pleasure for us kids to try and to think about whether or not we liked it. It was a game. Somehow wine is in our blood. I first studied but my father didn’t give me pocket money so I had to earn money to be able to have fun. I was working as a wine salesman in Bordeaux [and in Paris].