The Swiss wine journalist and wine critic René Gabriel was born in 1957 in the canton of Nidwalden. After school, he completed an apprenticeship as a chef at the Hotel Gütsch in Bern. In addition to his main job as a chef, he also toured the country for a time with his music band. In 1986, he took over the Hotel Kreuz in Sempach in the canton of Lucerne and presented the most famous Swiss wine list there with more than 1,000 entries. There, he came to the attention of the founder of the Swiss Mövenpick Group, Ueli Prager, who hired him as head of purchasing in 1990. At the same time, he was working for the ADV (Acádemie du Vin), organising professional seminars and trips for private wine lovers.
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