Portrait of Guillaume Potterat
i. Biography
Cully in Lavaux, Canton of Vaud, is the working ground for Guillaume Potterat, where Chasselas and Plant-Robert set the terms of the estate. The place is not incidental: a village address, a defined stretch of Swiss wine country, and two grapes give the cellar its frame. Potterat’s work reads as a direct response to that material, with the landscape functioning as part of the method.
The Climb
Since 2022, Guillaume Potterat has been winemaker of Domaine Potterat. The role places him inside the daily discipline of estate winegrowing, where the vineyard’s own character becomes the starting point for the cellar. At Domaine Potterat, the work centers on taking what the site gives and shaping it with restraint and attention.
Today
He is the winemaker at Domaine Potterat in Cully, Lavaux, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. He also serves as co-director of the Cully Jazz Festival in Cully, a second responsibility that keeps him tied to the village beyond the estate. One role belongs to agricultural work; the other belongs to the cultural life of the place. Together, they define a practice that remains compact and local. That combination gives the work its outline. On one side sits the vineyard and cellar, with their attention to fruit, texture, and timing; on the other is the festival, which adds a different tempo to life in Cully. The balance stays exact rather than expansive, keeping the professional world rooted in one place. The signature materials remain Chasselas and Plant-Robert. Those grapes mark the clearest expression of the craft, and they are the names that recur when the wines are discussed. At Domaine Potterat, the emphasis stays on what the site and the fruit can carry.
Career - Winemaker — Domaine Potterat, Cully, Lavaux, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland (2022–present)
Signature
Guillaume's signature dishes include Courseboux 2022, Épesses 2022, Villette 2022, Plant Robert 2022, and Pinot Noir Villette 2022. Together, these names trace a concise portrait of his work, each one tied to a specific place and vintage, and all part of the same steady vocabulary of the estate.
Recognition
Guillaume's honors include Sélection des vins vaudois, Silver (Côtes de Courseboux), Sélection des vins vaudois, Silver (Courseboux), Sélection des vins vaudois, Silver (Plant-Robert), and Sélection des vins vaudois, Gold (Côtes de Courseboux). The list reflects a body of work that has been noticed for its precision and consistency, with repeated recognition underscoring the importance of those core wines and the grapes behind them.
FAQ What recognition has Guillaume Potterat received? Sélection des vins vaudois, Silver (Côtes de Courseboux) (2021). What is Guillaume Potterat known for? Chasselas.
The Sunday letter
Get new profiles like Guillaume Potterat every Sunday.
One email a week with the chefs, winemakers and artisans we have just profiled, and the places they run.
One email a week. Unsubscribe from any issue.
The Sunday letter
Get the next Made By profile in your inbox.
We send one email every Sunday morning with the people we profiled that week.
One email a week. Unsubscribe from any issue.
