Discreet man but with sharp eyes evidencing a strong and determined character, Yves Chapier is a man of passion. His wine grower roots forged his personality and instilled in him the love for the Champagne land. And the will to transmit his passion..
But it is at sea that Yves Chapier got familiar with wine. After a training in catering and hospitality in Strasbourg he embarked on the liner France. A revelation! There he met his mentor who introduced him to the wide world of wine. When the liner definitively got back to the port in 1974 Yves decided to pass a complementary professional certificate in sommellerie. Once he had his diploma he first helped his father on the family estate. Then headed for Paris where he worked at starred restaurant ‘Les Anges’.
His career really took off in 1981 when he entered Moët&Chandon as first maitre d’hotel and sommelier of the Trianon Residence, the reception facilities of the famous Champagne house. He has also been the brand ambassador across the world. He finally worked 30 years at the service of the house.
But Yves Chapier is a man of action, eager to discover and take up challenges. In a parallel to his mission at Moet&Chandon he took over the reins of the family vineyard in 1999. And in 2000 he was persuaded to become the president of the association of sommeliers of Champagne-Ardenne, a mission he continued relentlessly until 2014. Thanks to his commitment in the sommellerie associative life he has been awarded the title of Maître Sommelier of UDSF in 2002. And he was given the medal of the Order of Agricultural Merit in 2011 by the deputy of the Marne department.
Yves Chapier says of his career that it enabled him to discover the vineyards of the world and above all to meet the wine growers. An inevitable stage for a sommelier as a link between the producer and the consumer. But he states that “wine is a culture difficult to transmit”. Especially to young generations of sommeliers. Yves regrets that the sommellerie education is not enough considered and structured in France. There is still a lot to do to ensure the continued existence of the existing Complementary Sommellerie Mentions; as for the image of the profession, the French and international Sommellerie will have to keep on promoting the profession. To Yves Chapier, the ideal solution would be a longer education and an official frame of who can be called a sommelier.
A fight that Yves Chapier supports as the president of honour of the association of Champagne, and from his vineyard where he now works 100% to grow Champagne grapes. His passion, his pleasure.
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