In the section Backstage, interesting personalities from the financial sector and beyond provide insights into their personal preferences every Wednesday.

What do you do first in the morning?

Nothing spectacular: if I’m not traveling, I have an espresso and a ginger shot. I read the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, then go through my emails.

What is the best thing about your job?

I love being in contact with a wide variety of people. As a wine merchant, this is paradise; you meet many fascinating personalities. A real privilege.

A moment that changed your life?

At the age of 16, I drank a 1964 Lafite-Rothschild with my father. Although Lafite struggled with rain that year, the wine tasted absolutely wonderful to me, with a sublime aroma of roses. That wine was probably one oft he triggers for my passion for wine.

What cars do you own? Which is your favorite?

At the moment, I still own far too many cars. Together with a friend, I bought a total of 18 vintage cars. At some point, we realized that we hardly ever drove them. And i learned that prints are my passion – not classic cars. For business, I drive a Mercedes-Maybach that runs like clockwork, even though it has 380,000 kilometers on the speedometer.

What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

Make sure to take enough time for true friends. Ensure that body weight doesn’t reach overly baroque proportions. Learn spanish.

What are you particularly proud of?

Of the successful renovation of my Baroque manor Schloss Freudental – a truly major challenge, not only financially. I am also proud of my print collection.

What do you do when you have doubts?

I write down the problems and let them settle. I have a glass of wine with good friends.

What is your favorite wine?

The very great Burgundies from Vosne-Romanée (among the reds) and the best German Reislings (among the whites). And emotionally, of course, my heart also belongs to my own wine from Priorat, which is excellent, by the way.

What projects are you currently working on?

We live in a strange time: drugs are being liberalized and tivialized, while a glass of wine is being demonized by militant ideologues. I am therefore currently trying to curb the anti-alcohol movement somewhat and to raise awareness of wine as an important cultural asset. In addition, Beni Würth and I are once again attempting to steer the protectionist efforts of a few Swiss wine producers into more reasonable channels.

What do you admire in other people?

That they are athletic and do not overload their schedules.

What would be the biggest surprise for someone who had to take over your job for a day?

That visiting wineries, carefully assessing their wines and enjoying extended lunches are not holidays, but hard work.

What is your personal drive?

The constant effort to make something as perfect as possible. I am a quality fetishist. I deeply despise sloppy work and poor quality.

What are you afraid of?

Of excessive tasting menus in gourmet restaurants with showy cuisine, accompanied by a few natural wines that smell like sauerkraut.

Your favorite watch brand?

I have always had a soft spot for high-quality watches. As I have an unusually thick wrist (21 cm), larger, more substantial watches suit me better. For this reason, I often enjoy wearing Rolex, such as the Yacht-Master II (the Daytona is almost too delicate for me). I also love watches from Patek Philippe (the new Cubitus is sensational), Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Is there an unfulfilled dream you would still like to realize?

To exhibit a small part of my print collection. I own works ranging from the Renaissance to the present day.

Your best investment?

My best (emotional) and the same time worst (financial) investment is Schloss Freudental on Lake Constance.

Philipp Schwander was the first Swiss national to pass the Master of Wine examination in 1996, widely regarded as one of the most demanding qualifications in the world. After studying business administration, he added wine purchasing at Martel in St.Gallen and later ran the Albert Reichmuth wine house in Zurich. In 2003, he founded Selection Schwander, one of Switzerland’s leading wine importers. Schwander writes for the NZZ, has lectured at the Austrian Wine Academy and is also a hobby winemaker and hotelier.