From Ordinary to Extraordinary: How (and Why) to Set a Stunning, Elegant Dining Table
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Nestled on the quiet shore of Lake Geneva lies a castle guarding stories and heirlooms as rich and diverse as can be found in any European history book. Built by nobility in the 1300s, inhabited by monks until the French Revolution, the castle’s exterior and interior were thoroughly redone in the early 1900s by a prominent textile industrialist and art collector to become a grand testament to the imposing magnificence of a true European cultural heritage and the lifestyle that befits it.
This is Château de Ripaille, literally translated from French to “Castle of the Feast.” It was built on one of the most beautiful domains near Lake Geneva on exceptional land with splendid gardens. In the 14th century the area was used as hunting grounds and the Comtes de Savoie lay the foundations of what was first used as a hunting lodge that hosted great culinary spectacles, prompting its name. Famous writers, musicians, princes and emperors alike feasted on the succulent dishes of Maître Chiquart, chef of Amédée VIII.
The château today is surrounded by 22 hectares of vines, which produce 160,000 bottles of wine per year. It was during the château’s monastery years, the two centuries prior to the French Revolution, that a strict quality policy in the vinification of the Chasselas plant was established.
Up until today, grapes have been harvested by hand, aged in stainless steel, undergoing full malolactic fermentation. The wine is medium-bodied with excellent value, perfect for warm weather sipping, or to accompany light salads, shellfish, and cheeses.
Culinary indulgence is a temptation for people of all walks of life. It was the keen eye and the fine arts palate of an industrialist that shaped the château’s post-revolutionary fate. Frédéric Engel-Gros, an heir to the DMC textile mills in Mulhouse, France could be seen as a very different persona compared to the dukes and monks who owned the estate earlier. Yet Engel-Gros showed no less fervor and dedication. He redid the interior in a painstaking 10-year renovation in a style marked by a unique blend of Medieval and Art Nouveau.
In his awe-inspiring renovation of Château de Ripaille, Frédéric Engel-Gros brought all the estate’s history together.
Current interior exhibitions showcase exquisite table settings with shimmering silverware, delicate porcelain, and fine textiles. An heir to one of the most renowned thread-producers, DMC, which introduced mercerization, the colourfast quality of the threads, and the iconic stranded embroidery thread, Mouliné Spécial, Engel-Gros added one more sensual indulgence at the discretion of château guests – that of the fine touch.
Behold the gleaming, custom-made silver service, surrounded by fine bone china plates hand-painted with delicate gold accents laid on their perfectly measured places over a hand-stitched luxurious tablecloth.
Crystal stemware glistens in the soft sunlight, while tall candles patiently await their hour, as they have done for – what transpires from their posture – an eternity. Freshly cut flowers adorn the table, with every fiber of their presence resonating in the pure, linen textile of the hand-embroidered table napkins. Timeless elegance and romance.
In the one too many tumultuous times when Europe was ridden with changing political regimes, Château de Ripaille served the most exquisite food, the most palatable wine, over handcrafted tablecloths and monogrammed linen napkins for demanding guests who may not have shared much more than their humanly passion for fine living.
Through the centuries, in Château de Ripaille, aristocracy, clergy and industrialists alike have walked the same halls and have unwound in the same bedrooms, equally richly adorned in handwoven, embroidered bedlinen for the ultimately indulgent sensation.
A pleasure to observe, breathe in and appreciate, the château’s dining room is an inspiration behind ODAYA Home’s table linen collections, standing for timeless lifestyle that we all, quite humanly, feel excitedly overwhelmed and looking forward to experience.
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