{"id":10081,"date":"2024-12-19T12:30:47","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T11:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mathier.com\/family-history\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T09:57:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T07:57:57","slug":"family-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mathier.com\/en\/family-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Family & History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Family & History<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A Success Story in Winemaking Spanning Generations<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Learn more about our heritage, the origins, and the rich history of the Diego Mathier family<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Origins<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It is reasonable to assume that the Mathier family<\/a> originally had its roots in France. Judging by the two lilies in the family\u2019s coat of arms, they must once have been close to the French king or at least rendered special service to the French monarch. This form of distinction and honor was bestowed only upon individuals or communities who had rendered truly exceptional service to the king or the royal house. <\/p>

In the picturesque wine village of Salgesch in the canton of Valais, the Mathier family was first mentioned in historical records in 1387 and has been closely connected ever since to the largest wine-growing community in Upper Valais and its people. The foundation for the success of the family business\u2014now run by Nadia and Diego Mathier\u2014was laid by Ferdinand Mathier, the great-grandfather of the current winner of the \u201cSwiss Winemaker of the Decade\u201d award<\/a>. As a dedicated viticultural inspector, he already understood\u2014as early as the beginning of the 20th century\u2014the importance of soil composition, vineyard sites, and the microclimate in Valais. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Chronology of Events<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Immerse yourself in the rich history of the Mathier family.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Mathier family is mentioned in historical records for the first time. Since then, more than 600 years of tradition and winemaking history have linked them to Salgesch, the largest wine-growing community in the Upper Valais. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Second half of the 19th century<\/span>
, Ferdinand Mathier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Meinrad Mathier founded the first Mathier business. However, the roots of today\u2019s successful winery, Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG<\/a>, were laid by Ferdinand Mathier, Diego Mathier\u2019s great-grandfather. As a viticulture inspector, he had a deep understanding of the importance of soil composition, the special significance of the vineyard site, and the Valais microclimate. Furthermore, he recognized the interplay as well as the mutual dependence of these three crucial elements in viticulture. It is largely thanks to him that the Pinot Noir grape variety (today, 70% of the vineyard area in Salgesch is planted with Pinot Noir<\/a> ) and the time-honored Cornalin were cultivated very early on in the best vineyards in Salgesch. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1929<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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1929<\/span>
: The Stock Market Crash and Its Consequences<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The stock market crash in New York, which went down in history as \u201cBlack Friday\u201d on October 24, 1929, is considered the starting point of the Great Depression in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Mathier family also felt the effects almost immediately. From one day to the next, they were refused acceptance of the grapes\u2014which had previously been sourced from Salgesch\u2014at the collection point in Siders. Out of necessity, they decided on the spot to begin making their own wine. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1951<\/span>
: Where the first 12,000 liters of wine were clarified<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In the building that is now the Barrique \u201cWein & Raclette\u201d restaurant\u2014which belongs to the Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG winery\u2014Diego\u2019s grandfather, Oskar Mathier, pressed his first 12,000 liters of wine that fall. His wife, Marie Mathier (n\u00e9e Pichel), was responsible for running the restaurant, which was then called \u201cLa Poste,\u201d and with their combined income, they secured a modest livelihood. Incidentally, Marie brought a vineyard plot into the marriage, which is still known today as \u201cAlte Sage\u201d and where, in addition to the Chardonnay grape variety, saffron\u2014the red gold of Salgesch\u2014has recently been planted. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1956<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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1956<\/span>
, Oskar Mathier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Oskar Mathier, Diego Mathier\u2019s grandfather, had by then taken over the winery from his father, Ferdinand, and moved in with his wife, Marie (n\u00e9e Oggier), at 48 Bahnhofstrasse\u2014a winery that was elegant and modern by the standards of the time. The house still stands today and serves as the current winery\u2019s facility for receiving the harvested grapes and, after thorough inspection by Diego Mathier himself, sending them to the press. From this point on, Oskar Mathier also began\u2014as the first to do so\u2014to build a steadily growing base of private and restaurant customers and to supply his clientele with his wines. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1975<\/span>
, Rosmarie & Adrian Mathier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Adrian and Rosmarie Mathier, the parents of Switzerland\u2019s best winemaker of the decade, decided to take the next step and had the winery\u2019s visionary and modern building constructed at Bahnhofstrasse 50, right next to the home of Oskar and Marie Mathier. With their idea of not waiting for customers to come to the winery\u2014but instead delivering the wine directly to customers\u2019 doorsteps, so to speak, at numerous Swiss trade shows<\/a> \u2014they took on a truly pioneering role that quickly began to pay off. Thanks to a steadily growing base of private and restaurant customers, the winery experienced an unprecedented boom in a very short time, culminating in 1986 when Diego\u2019s parents were awarded the world championship title for their \u0152il-de-Perdrix La Matze. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2001<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2001<\/span>
Nadia and Diego Mathier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Shortly after the turn of the millennium, Nadia and Diego Mathier took the reins. Guided by the corporate philosophy \u201cTradition, Emotion, Innovation, and Enjoyment\u2014for Generations,\u201d they began to realign the family business while taking into account such important criteria as continuity and sustainability (\u2192 the company name now includes \u201cNouveau Salquenen,\u201d which translates to \u201cNew Salgesch\u201d). In doing so, they, too, prioritize quality as the guiding principle in their pursuit of the perfect wine. As a result, the family now owns approximately 45 hectares of prime vineyard sites, including some of the best in Valais in the area known as \u201cles Pyramides.\u201d In addition, all grape varieties are gradually being assigned to their appropriate terroirs in close collaboration with their long-time chief oenologist, C\u00e9dric Leyat. The range of AOC wines is constantly expanding, as the cultivation of exclusively classic grape varieties is being shifted to include the production and aging of specialty wines\u2014whether red or white. In 2007, after just six years of passionate and tireless work, the couple was honored with their first title as Switzerland\u2019s Winemaker of the Year. By 2018, they had received two more awards for \u201cBest Swiss Winemaker of the Year\u201d (2011 and 2018) as well as the title of \u201cBest Swiss Winemaker of the Decade.\u201d Countless international and national prizes and awards, as well as more than 1,000 gold medals for their AOC white wines, ros\u00e9 wines, red wines, sparkling wines, and dessert wines of the highest international caliber, impressively underscore that Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen AG is now among the top Swiss wineries. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2020<\/span>
, BnB Vino Veritas<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Diego and Nadia had envisioned a holistic wine tourism concept from the very beginning. With the opening of the Barrique \u201cWein & Raclette\u201d restaurant in the heart of the wine village of Salgesch\u2014and at the original site where their great-grandfather Ferdinand once worked\u2014they set out to bring this ambitious concept to life. In 2020, the newly built BnB Vino Veritas<\/a> in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park opened its doors with its De Luxe Studios, De Luxe Suites, and De Luxe Penthouse Suite, and has since formed the triad of the Mathier family\u2019s wine tourism concept. This concept has quickly gained countless friends and enthusiasts and was recently honored with the title\u201cGlobal Winner \u2013 Best of Wine Tourism<\/a>,\u201d recognizing it as the world\u2019s best wine tourism offering. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2020<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2024<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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2024<\/span>
Fifth Generation Mathier<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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A look to the future also promises nothing but good news for all wine and fine-food lovers who enjoy the top-quality wines from Adrian & Diego Mathier Nouveau Salquenen: The world of wine will be increasingly shaped by female influences in the years to come. With their five daughters, Nadia and Diego Mathier have already demonstrated their keen instincts in this regard and, together with their daughters\u2019 future families, have laid an important foundation for the continued success of the Mathier family\u2019s long-standing business. Why not see for yourself by visiting the winery of the three-time Swiss Winemaker of the Year (2018, 2011, and 2007)? <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mathier Family Photo Gallery<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Discover the rich history and tradition of the Mathier family.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Subscribe to our newsletter and take advantage of our great offers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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