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The Proust Q&A: Nicolas Audebert
Nicolas Audebert is the polo-playing chief winemaker for Cheval des Andes in Argentina, a joint venture of Terrazas de los Andes, a subsidiary of Moët Hennessy in Argentina, and Château Cheval Blanc. He lives in Mendoza with his wife and four young children. A fifth is on the way.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Being in the right place at the right time with the right people. A Singapore Sling at Raffles or playing pétanque and drinking fresh Pastis with close friends would be a good place to start.
What is your greatest fear?
To be boring and predictable.
Who do you most admire?
Bob Marley for his music, Bernard Loiseau for his cuisine, French Resistance fighter Tom Morel for his bravery, Louis II de Baviere for his craziness. None of them are alive, but to me they are immortal.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Waterskiing on the crocodile-infested Lake Baringo in Kenya.
What is your current state of mind?
Happy. I’m an eternal optimist – I can’t help it.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Should I be honest?…
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Don’t worry, be happy.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Life itself, and of course my four-and-a-half little ones (number five is on the way), my wife and horses.
When and where were you happiest?
Here today.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Fearlessness.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
To be lucky enough to be able to live my dreams.
Where would you most like to live?
On an truck travelling around the world with my family.
What is your most treasured possession?
Happy memories.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Resilience and determination.
Who are your favorite writers?
Edmond Rostand and Antoine de Saint Exupery.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Cyrano de Bergerac and Le Petit Prince.
What is it that you most dislike?
Half-heartedness.
What is your greatest regret?
To have only one life, and the knowledge that I won’t have the time to achieve all the things I want to.
What is your motto?
Nobody owns tomorrow so enjoy today.
Who would be your ideal dinner party guests and what wines would you serve them?
I’d love to spend an evening with three of Hollywood’s most glamourous leading ladies: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Ursula Andress. I don’t think three wines would be enough…