Everyone talks about Texture Restaurant! I was therefore very excited to meet with Xavier Rousset, co-founder. At Texture wine is as important as food Xavier told me. Not surprisingly, the other founder is chef Agnar Sverrisson whom Rousset met while working previously at Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. But who is Xavier Rousset? He is a very successful sommelier with experience in French institutions such as Laurent in Paris, was Ruinart UK Sommelier of the year in 2002, and is a very welcoming man whom I met on the first week of October. Olivier Bourseau: Xavier Rousset, thank you very much for having us at your newly opened Texture Restaurant. You used to work at Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons which you joined in 2004 as Chef Sommelier until you decided to go your own way. Prior to this you worked in Michelin Starred restaurants in France chez Laurent in Paris or Villa Belrose in St Tropez. Why/How did you decide to take the risk of setting up this restaurant with Agnar Sverrisson instead of continuing your carreer as an employee? Xavier Rousset: I think everybody wants to be his or her own boss one day. The Restaurant trade is one of these industries, like being a baker, where you want to do your own thing. So you try with different people and you get to know the strengths and you try and pick as much as possible from your previous experiences and then you do your own thing. I think that is a goal that everyone is looking to achieve at some stage. Olivier Bourseau: What is the most difficult thing to do when you open a restaurant in London and what is the easiest? Xavier Rousset: I don’t know about the easiest (he laughs!) But the hard part is to find the location, to train the staff, find some good staff, and then make sure the customer comes, and comes once but also comes back. And we have had already quite a few clients who came back twice or three times so to us that is the best. It means that you are good when people want to come back. Because in London when you are new and fashionable, everybody will come and see you once but then it might just be it. So after six months you close! Pictures below: Texture Restaurant and Champagne Bar Olivier Bourseau: When did your passion for wine start and who was your biggest influence in your carreer so far? Xavier Rousset: There was always a bottle on the table at home! But I am the only one in the wine industry in my family. I spent most of my holidays in the wineries and also visiting cheese makers. It has always been about food and wine since I was 13 or 14 years old! And my biggest influence is probably Gerard Basset (founder of Hotel du Vin) who is a sommelier in the UK as well. I worked for him for about 6 years. He trained me and was my mentor. Olivier Bourseau: Texture offers lots of food and wine combinations. Is wine more of less important than food in your restaurant? Xavier Rousset: It is 50/50 at every level from the income to all the other aspects of the business. Olivier Bourseau: What is your dream food and wine combination or your favourite food and wine combination? Xavier Rousset: I have had a great combination with Roquefort cheese and Pedro Ximenez (sweet sherry wine) and that is one to remember, as it was absolutely amazing. I also love Champagne dinners or lunches where you try a different Champagne wine with every course. That is beautiful because you feel so light and Champagne is one of those wine you can nearly drink as much as you like. So that’s another one. And if you have the luck to be invited in the Champagne houses, and have a meal there like at Krug or Bollinger this is amazing. I had the chance to go there and have the opportunity to try different vintages going back to 1973 for instance at Krug's, which happened to me once. Those are good memories, very good memories! Olivier Bourseau: With regards to wine, Texture is also a Champagne bar. Apart from the sparkling wines, what is the wine list like and is it specialised on some wine regions more than others? Xavier Rousset: There are a lot of Rieslings and Pinots Noirs because these suit the food we do here which is a rather light food and I love both grape varieties as well! We also have some Gruner Vetliner (Austrian white grape variety), so the lighter grapes overall and quite aromatic as well. Sometimes Viognier can also do but is not so light. But otherwise it is 40% French and 60% rest of the world. So you get Spain, Italy, Slovakia, everywhere…. We have a very versatile wine list. Olivier Bourseau: I understand you come from Saint Etienne in France. Are your favourite wines from the Rhône region? If not what are your favourite wines? Xavier Rousset: I like the Rhône and I also like Burgundy. Bordeaux would come maybe third or fourth. But my top 2 are Rhône Valley and Burgundy. Olivier Bourseau: How important is terroir to you? Xavier Rousset: It is very important but I think winemakers have got a more and more important role as well in the mix. Grapes are made in the vineyards and without good grapes you can not make good wine, but the skill of the winemaker is also of tremendous importance. And the best example is Burgundy: Burgundy always claims to have a very mportant Terroir which is very true and anywhere else also. But if you take the Premier Cru Les Charmes within Meursault (a vineyard within the Appellation Meursault in Côte de Beaune, Burgundy – This vineyard is owned by different winemakers) then why is Coche-Dury (one of the best winemakers in the area, if not the best) ten times better than the one next door, yet it is the same Terroir? So the winemakers have a huge impact on the wines I believe. Olivier Bourseau: Which wine producing regions are you following because they have more potential than other and offer good value currently? Xavier Rousset: Portugal, Greece, and South Africa. But I especially like the Portuguese red which are great I think and offering good value at the moment. It might change and prices have gone up a bit already but they are very good wines! Olivier Bourseau: Thank you very much Xavier!