Haut-Lac's Alpine Voice
Benjamin Dupas was never supposed to make wine. Born in the 1980s, he trained at FERRANDI Paris — one of France's most prestigious culinary schools — and built a career as a sommelier in some of Europe's most celebrated restaurants. He worked at Oiseau Blanc, the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Peninsula Paris; at LiLi, the acclaimed Chinese fine-dining venue; and for five years at the Royal Savoy Lausanne, where he managed wine budgets, crafted wine lists, and led tastings for an elite clientele. He collaborated on exclusive cuvées — "Le Paon" with Blaise Duboux, "Gamay Royal" with Fabien Vallélian — and became deeply embedded in the world of high-end gastronomy. But something was missing. The natural wine movement was calling. In 2021, Benjamin made the leap. He joined forces with Jordi Renard of Maison Vulpin, sharing cellar space in Villeneuve on the shores of Lake Léman. In 2022, he acquired 1 hectare of vines in two parcels — "Sur La Rivaz" and "Les Terreaux" — on the western slopes of Villeneuve, at 550 metres altitude with southwest exposure facing the lake, beneath the towering Rochers de Naye (2,042m). The soils are clay-limestone and Rhône glacial moraine, with vines aged 20–50 years planted to Chasselas, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Dornfelder, Gamaret, Garanoir, Merlot, and Pinot Meunier. Benjamin farms organically and biodynamically — no synthetic chemicals, no herbicides, grass cover maintained year-round, treatments limited to sulfur and copper, all work following lunar cycles. In the cellar, he shares space with Jordi Renard, fermenting spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel or amphorae. Whites are direct-press or skin-contact; reds are whole-cluster in open vats. No fining, no filtration, no added sulfites (<10 mg/L). The name "La Riva" nods to the "Sur La Rivaz" parcel and the shores of Lake Léman — a wine born from Alpine limestone, lake breeze, and the passion of a sommelier who chose the vineyard over the dining room.
The Sommelier Who Chose the Vineyard
Benjamin Dupas grew up in France in the 1980s, with no family connection to viticulture. His path to wine was through gastronomy — the rigorous, exacting world of French fine dining. He trained at FERRANDI Paris, the prestigious culinary and hospitality school that has produced some of France's most celebrated chefs and sommeliers. From there, he built a career in the dining rooms of Michelin-starred restaurants, developing a palate that was both precise and adventurous [^179^].
His résumé reads like a tour of Europe's most glamorous addresses: Oiseau Blanc at the Peninsula Paris, with its breathtaking views and two Michelin stars; LiLi, the acclaimed Chinese fine-dining restaurant where wine pairing demands extraordinary sensitivity; and finally, the Royal Savoy Lausanne, where he spent five years as sommelier, managing wine budgets, crafting lists, and leading tastings for an international elite. It was here, on the shores of Lake Léman, that Benjamin's fascination with Swiss wine and Alpine terroir began to take root [^179^].
But the natural wine movement was changing everything. Benjamin had collaborated on exclusive cuvées with producers like Blaise Duboux ("Le Paon") and Fabien Vallélian ("Gamay Royal"), and through these partnerships he discovered a world of wine that was alive, unpredictable, and deeply connected to place. In 2021, he made the leap. He joined Jordi Renard of Maison Vulpin in Villeneuve, sharing cellar space and learning the craft of natural winemaking from the ground up. In 2022, he acquired his own vines — 1 hectare across two parcels — and Domaine de La Riva was born. The name is a nod to the "Sur La Rivaz" parcel and the shores (riva) of Lake Léman that define this extraordinary terroir [^179^][^180^].
"Out of passion, I took over these vineyards, fascinated by cultivating and vinifying these magnificent alpine slopes of Lake Geneva."
— Benjamin Dupas
Sur La Rivaz, Les Terreaux & Rochers de Naye
Domaine de La Riva's 1 hectare is concentrated in two parcels on the western slopes of Villeneuve, in the Haut-Lac region of Vaud, Switzerland. The vineyards sit at 550 metres altitude with southwest exposure, facing the shimmering expanse of Lake Léman and dominated by the towering Rochers de Naye (2,042m) — a pre-Alpine mountain composed primarily of limestone. At the summit, the panorama overlooks the entire Lake Geneva region, from Montreux to Lausanne. The setting is dramatic: hillside terraces bordering forest, where hiking trails intersect and the air carries the cool freshness of the lake mixed with the mineral scent of Alpine stone [^180^].
The soils are a fascinating mix of clay-limestone and Rhône glacial moraine — deposits left by ancient glaciers that carved this landscape. The clay-limestone provides structure and minerality; the moraine adds a unique glacial freshness that sets these wines apart from their French neighbours. The vines range from 20 to 50 years old, planted to an extraordinary diversity of varieties: Chasselas (the signature Swiss white), Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Malbec, Dornfelder, Gamaret, Garanoir, Merlot, and Pinot Meunier. This polyculture approach — rare in an era of monoculture — reflects Benjamin's belief in biodiversity and his willingness to let the land express itself through multiple voices [^179^][^180^].
Farming is organic and biodynamic in practice, though Benjamin has chosen not to pursue formal certification. No synthetic chemicals or herbicides are used. Grass cover is maintained year-round to promote biodiversity and encourage mycorrhizal fungi — the underground networks that connect plants and enhance their ability to absorb nutrients. Treatments are limited to sulfur and copper sprays to prevent fungal diseases, applied only when necessary. All vineyard work, from pruning to harvesting, follows lunar cycles. Hand-harvesting into small crates ensures that only the finest grapes reach the cellar. "I work the vines by hand all year round, from pruning to harvesting, cultivating as naturally as possible to promote life," Benjamin says — and the wines prove it [^180^].
One of the two original parcels that give the domaine its name. Clay-limestone soils with Rhône glacial moraine, southwest exposure at 550m. Vines 20–50 years old, planted to Chasselas, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Meunier. Hand-harvested, lunar-cycle work, grass cover maintained. The heart of the white wine production — crisp, mineral, and unmistakably Alpine.
The second parcel, complementing Sur La Rivaz with slightly different soil composition and exposure. Home to the red varieties: Malbec, Dornfelder, Gamaret, Garanoir, and Merlot. The same organic and biodynamic rigour applies — hand work, no chemicals, lunar cycles. The reds from here are light, vibrant, and deeply fresh — a completely different expression of "Alpine Pinot" than Burgundy.
The towering limestone peak (2,042m) that dominates the landscape above the vineyards. Its presence is not merely scenic — the limestone geology influences the soils below, adding minerality and structure to the wines. The mountain creates a unique microclimate: cool air drainage at night, warm lake breezes during the day, and a dramatic diurnal temperature range that preserves acidity while allowing full ripeness.
The lake's thermal mass moderates temperatures, preventing extreme heat and frost. The southwest exposure captures afternoon sun while the lake breeze brings freshness. This combination — Alpine altitude, lake influence, limestone soils — creates a terroir unlike any other in Switzerland or France. The wines are fresh, mineral, and alive with a distinctly Alpine character.
Indigenous Yeast, No Additives, Lunar Cycles
Benjamin Dupas' cellar work is defined by the same principles that guided his sommelier career: purity, balance, and respect for the ingredient. He shares a minimal-intervention cellar with Jordi Renard of Maison Vulpin in Villeneuve — a collaborative space where ideas flow as freely as the wine. All fermentations are spontaneous, carried out by indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks or amphorae. No selected yeasts, no enzymes, no additives of any kind [^179^].
For the whites, grapes are directly pressed and fermented in tank or amphora. The Chasselas — "In Chasselas We T…" — is a crystalline expression of Switzerland's signature grape: crisp, mineral, and refreshing. For the orange wines, like "Kitoko Makasi," Benjamin employs 7–14 days of skin contact before pressing, creating wines of amber hue, apricot, spice, and fine tannins. The blend for Kitoko Makasi is audacious: Chardonnay, Chasselas, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, and Malbec — a field blend that could only come from a sommelier's fearless palate [^179^].
For the reds, whole-cluster fermentation in open vats lasts 10–12 days, with gentle extraction. The "Bords d'Eaux" (Malbec/Merlot) and "Sur le Rocher" (Gamaret/Garanoir/Dornfelder) are aged 6–10 months in neutral oak or stainless steel. The alcohol levels are remarkably low — 11% for Bords d'Eaux, 12% for Sur le Rocher — reflecting the cool Alpine climate and Benjamin's commitment to freshness over power. No fining, no filtration, no added sulfites (<10 mg/L). The wines are bottled as Vin de Pays Suisse Chablais, emphasising purity and fruit expression over appellation prestige [^179^][^180^].
The Sommelier's Touch
Benjamin's background as a sommelier gives his wines a unique character: they are made not just for the vineyard, but for the table. Every cuvée is designed with gastronomy in mind — balanced, food-friendly, and expressive. The "In Chasselas We T…" is crisp enough for oysters but complex enough for aged cheese. The "Kitoko Makasi" orange wine has the structure and spice to stand up to bold Asian flavours — a nod to Benjamin's time at LiLi. The reds are light and vibrant, perfect for Alpine charcuterie or simply sipping on a terrace overlooking the lake. This is the advantage of a winemaker who spent years on the other side of the bottle: he knows what drinkers want, what sommeliers need, and what the vineyard can give. As one retailer noted, his wines are "vibrant, terroir-driven, and deeply satisfying" — the perfect summary of a sommelier's dream realised in Alpine limestone.
Alpine & Alive
Domaine de La Riva has rapidly become one of the most exciting new names in the European natural wine scene. Despite its tiny scale — just 1 hectare and 2,000–3,000 bottles annually — the domaine has attracted attention from natural wine bars, restaurants, and collectors across Switzerland, France, Denmark, and beyond. 50–70% of production is exported, primarily to European markets where the demand for authentic, sulfite-free Alpine wines is growing rapidly [^179^].
What sets Benjamin apart is his unique trajectory: from FERRANDI Paris to Michelin-starred dining rooms to a 1-hectare vineyard on an Alpine hillside. He brings the precision of a sommelier, the creativity of a chef, and the humility of a beginner to every bottle. His collaboration with Jordi Renard and his integration into the natural wine network — through fairs like RAW Wine and relationships with importers like Vins Naturels and Vin Naturel Paris — have given him a platform that most new domaines can only dream of [^179^].
But Benjamin is not chasing fame. He is chasing expression — the pure, unadulterated voice of his terroir. "I chose to vinify the wines without any additives in order to preserve the expression of the vintage and the place," he says. "I guide and accompany the wines rather than create them, following my instinct and the vintage." This philosophy of accompaniment rather than creation is what makes Domaine de La Riva so compelling. The wines are not manipulated; they are revealed. And what they reveal is a landscape of limestone, lake breeze, and Alpine light — captured in a glass by a sommelier who finally found his true calling [^180^].
"I guide and accompany the wines rather than create them, following my instinct and the vintage."
— Benjamin Dupas
The La Riva Range
All wines are made from organically and biodynamically farmed estate fruit, hand-harvested into small crates following lunar cycles. Indigenous yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks or amphorae. Whites: direct-press or skin-contact (7–14 days for orange wines). Reds: whole-cluster fermentation in open vats (10–12 days). Aged 6–10 months in neutral oak or stainless steel. No fining, no filtration, no added sulfites (<10 mg/L). Bottled as Vin de Pays Suisse Chablais. Production is tiny — ~2,000–3,000 bottles annually across 4–5 cuvées [^179^][^180^].