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Executive Winemaker
Simone Bergese

Simone Bergese is originally from Alba, Italy and holds a degree in Oenology and Viticulture from the Turin University in Northern Italy. After completing his degree, Simone worked as Assistant Winemaker for several wineries in Italy’s Barolo and Barbaresco regions, as well as wineries in Australia. He was hired in 2003 as Chief Winemaker at Patria Winery in Sicily, and then he progressed in 2006 as the Chief Winemaker for the prestigious Firrato Winery, one of the best known wineries in Italy. During his time with these two wineries, Simone produced more than 18 million bottles of wine and was awarded several international awards.

In 2008, Bergese moved to the United States to join Potomac Point Winery in Stafford, Virginia. As the Winemaker at Potomac Point, he achieved over 60 awards for his wines in local, national and international wine competitions, including the prestigious International Wine Challenge and Decanter World Wine Awards where the wines were listed in the top 12 wines in Virginia. Simone, being passionate about pairing wine with food, has done multiple culinary events, including a cooking show in Virginia highlighting his award winning wines paired with food served at the Potomac Point Winery’s restaurant.

In addition to controlling the creative winemaking process, Bergese’s key responsibilities include all winemaking activities from harvest through bottling, quality assurance, contract negotiations, hiring and supervising, budget preparation, and long range planning in order to build the Château Élan brand. In addition, he will coordinate wine pairings for Château Élan’s restaurants, winemaker’s dinners and events.

Constantly focused on making quality wines, Simone’s winemaking style achieves a balance combining new techniques with old world traditions. Simone enjoys pleasing the customer and says "I am product oriented but with ears open to the world." He adds, "I make wine to inspire people. It is about creating an emotional experience, not just a glass of wine."

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