Pierre Perusset, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, was conferred the title of Commandeur de l’Ordre des Vins Vaudois (Commander of the Order of Vaud Wines) by the Office des Vins Vaudois (The Office of Vaud Wines) of Lausanne, Switzerland on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
Pierre Keller, President of the Office des Vins Vaudois, personally visited The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong to present the prestigious award to Pierre Perusset. Vaud wines produced by The Vaudois vineyards account for a quarter of Swiss wines with an impressive range of local grape varieties including Chasselas, Gamay, Gamaret, Garanoir, Mondeuse and more. The insignias of Commandeur de l’Ordre des Vins Vaudois have been presented to wine lovers with a true understanding and appreciation of the charm and merits of Vaud wines.
Thanks to his role as General Manager of the hotel celebrated for the finest wine and dine options in town, Pierre Perusset has easy access to wines from every famous wine region. However, the native of Ballaigues municipality in the Vaud region has a special emotional attachment to wines produced in his home country. Mr. Perusset said, “I am much honored to receive the insignia of Commandeur de l’Ordre des Vins Vaudois. Wines have been an inseparable element in my life. They don’t just elevate the dining experience, but also connect people from different backgrounds and cultures. It is always enjoyable to meet with wine lovers and exchange ideas on the latest wine trends”. Dedicated to promoting the pleasure of wine appreciation in Hong Kong, Mr. Perusset devoted special attention to the wine list of the hotel restaurants including the two-star Michelin Tin Lung Heen Chinese restaurant and one-star Michelin Tosca Italian restaurant. He continued, “It is exciting to see wine culture blossoming in Hong Kong and now, as an ambassador of Swiss wines, I look forward to introducing more top-notch wines of limited production to wine aficionados in Hong Kong.”
Mr. Perusset graduated with honors from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland with a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry, spanning more than 11 countries in Europe, the U.S., the Middle East and Asia, and has been with The Ritz-Carlton for over 18 years. Mr. Perusset is a true connoisseur in many aspects of his personal life – from wine appreciation to exotic travels, and from regular practice of Tai Chi to seeking internal peace through meditation Last year, he spent a week in Mongolia for a mission trip helping children with facial deformities. Most recently, Mr. Perusset, together with his two sons, Loic and Yann, conquered the Uhuru Peak of Mount Kilimanjaro (with a height of 5,895 meters), the highest mountain in Africa. Mr. Perusset said, “I believe happiness lies in personal wellness – both physical and mental. Achievements and satisfaction at work are, of course, essential, but we should also take equal care of our own self, to make every page of our life’s journey a good story to read by experiencing unique things in life and sharing these experiences with less fortunate people.