News From Ritz Paris: Estelle Touzet Appointed Chief Sommelier

From the Chanel spa concept to pop-up appearances from celebrity barman Colin Field, the Ritz Paris is generating lots of buzz before its highly anticipated opening in early 2016. As we've previously reported, the top-to-bottom restoration has employed the country’s finest artisans—with a price tag of around €200 million.

The latest news is the appointment of Estelle Touzet as chief sommelier. The Ritz Paris recruited her from Le Meurice, where she’s dazzled wine lovers with her knowledge. A recent article in WWD emphasizes that she’s “one of the very few females to have made it to the top in the male-dominated industry.” The wine cellar at the Ritz Paris has an inventory of 40,000 bottles, including rare ones like a magnum of Château Margaux 1961.

As reported by WWD, Touzet plans to add selections to pair with the cuisine of Chef Nicolas Sale, who garnered four Michelin stars for his cuisine in the celebrity ski resort of Courchevel. Leading a team of nine sommeliers, Touzet describes her role as “taking our clients through the vineyards through storytelling.”