Monte-Carlo Inspiration

Heritage

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PASSING ON THE HISTORY OF EUROPE’S LARGEST HOTEL CELLARS

heritage patrimoine

Les passeurs d’histoire des plus grandes caves hôtelières d’Europe

“ We received the barrels and had to take them down to the cellar. And then we had to wait for good weather so that the wine didn’t move during bottling. The vineyard owners would give us the corks, capsules and labels. It was very hard.”

The search for the best wines

But the hard work paid off. “I’ve always been very happy here. We were always looking for the best bottles. The barrels of old cognac were fantastic. Every year, tastings were organised. It was magnificent. For me, who went to Mussolini’s school near Ventimiglia, after a few years as a shepherd, cultivating the land and pressing olive oil, the cellars were the opportunity of a lifetime. I spent my first season washing bottles. And I stayed for thirty-six years... I learned by working. ” When Gennaro joined Pierino, the handover came naturally. “I had the curiosity; he gave me the passion” . In 1992, when the time came for the succession, the primary objective was clear: “To respect everything that the elders had done”. But we also had to evolve... “The arrival of Alain Ducasse in 1987 was an earthquake. At the time, French gastronomy was in turmoil. The chef had a clear objective, and he involved everyone in his project. He appointed a head sommelier who acted as a driving force. ” Gennaro Iorio is the guardian of a priceless treasure. “These cellars are priceless. The important thing is to showcase the work of the winemaker. What dazzles everyone is its rarity. There is nothing more precious. That’s luxury. ” And the luxury of the cellars means an ever expanding collection of exceptional wines. ■ Inestimable value

© Monte-Carlo SBM

Pierino Borgogno, 92, and his successor Gennaro Iorio, 56, have been cellar keepers for over 70 years. Pierino Borgogno, 92 ans, et son successeur Gennaro Iorio, 56 ans, sont les gardiens des caves depuis plus de 70 ans.

T here are two of them and it’s as if they are one. Pierino Borgogno, 92, and his successor Gennaro Iorio, 56, are the guardians of the cellars at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. Between them, more than 70 years of history have been written, day after day, in the neat rows of some 300,000 bottles stored 10 metres underground. They met in 1987 and worked hand in hand until Pierino retired in 1992. “ We have been entrusted with an extraordinary heritage. We’ve protected it and tried to do our bit ”. Gennaro Iorio has spent thirty-seven years of his career in the 1,500 m 2 of underground passageways of the world’s largest hotel cellars. He loves to welcome Pierino Borgogno, “the man who taught him everything ”.

Cellars walled up to the Germans, wine served to Churchill

Many illustrious personalities have made detours, driven by the curiosity of a visit where time is measured by the years indicated on the labels of the grands crus. Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace sometimes came to dine in the cellar, from time to time accompanied by their children, explains Pierino Borgogno. “I remember Prince Albert, who liked to play in the alleys. ” These elegant evenings contrasted with the harshness of daily work.

“Do you remember Etienne Brigasco?” , asks the nonagenarian. “ He spent his life in the cellars too. He was like a father to all of us. It was he who walled up part of the gallery to stop the Germans knocking back the bottles. Afterwards, he was proud to serve Churchill!” Since 1874, part of Monaco’s history has been written in the cellars of the Hôtel de Paris.