By Vasilij Ratej
Zwahlen-Hüni Cigares Tobacco in Gstaad; Habanos cigars and high-quality clothing. There are even cigar slippers - handmade in Great Britain. I spoke with managing director Sérgio Araujo.
Fascination Habanos cigar
"I love cigars!" says Sérgio Araujo. In his brief introduction, I can already tell that he is a man of pleasure who greatly appreciates the craftsmanship of the cigar. He muses, "This immense work that goes behind it, from the field to the finished cigar, and which I then light up and enjoy at my leisure. What a wonderful product!"
He pauses for a moment and continues, "We are Habanos Specialist, so we get allocated a little more Cuba cigars than specialty retailers who don't have Habanos status."
In 2019, Zwahlen-Hüni AG took over the tobacco business from Mr. Fuhrer, who retired. Then, March 2020, came the lockdown. "In the store, we were allowed to sell tobacco products, but nothing else. So no lighters, ashtrays and the like," Sérgio Araujo recounts. "However, we were allowed to ship and deliver such products. There were travelers at that time who stayed here in Gstaad for several weeks and months because they didn't know how to return to their country. That was a peculiar situation."
Here you find Zwahlen-Hüni Cigares Tobacco
"A premium cigar is not a machine product," Sérgio Araujo enthuses. "When I treat myself to a cigar, I first ask myself: how much time do I have? According to this criterion, I choose the size of the cigar. I relax, let my thoughts run free. I look at it, feel it, cut it, then comes the cold draw and after that the lighting. During this ritual I think about the person who rolled this cigar. During the smoke, I often think about the process of making the cigar. I really appreciate this product because it is true craftsmanship and there is hard work behind it. We shouldn't forget that."
Gstaad and the global clientele
I wonder who buys cigars in Gstaad at all? "Mainly guests who own property here, as well as local connoisseurs," Sérgio Araujo explains to me. "They stay here in a hotel or have a house. They spend a few weeks here in Gstaad and stock up on cigars." The winter season lasts from about mid-December to early March. The summer season starts in mid-June and ends around mid-September.
"In the summer months, there are also sporting events. The village is full of people. It's a great atmosphere!" he explains.
The cigar loafer
When I saw the photo, I thought the idea was really cool. I can really recommend them - real quality work. But buy them rather one size larger. My 41 size is a little too tight on the foot. Just fantastic. So in style, I'll be walking up and down my lounge from now on, with a cigar... what a picture! ?
Customers understand the shortage of Habanos cigars
"Because we have globally traveling customers, they know that Habanos cigars are currently in short supply. They understand it and buy what is available. Of course, every now and then there are customers who want a certain brand in a certain format, and leave again without buying anything," Sérgio Araujo says. "Our customers mainly buy Cuban cigars. Of course, we also have cigars from other countries here."
The three most popular Cuba cigars from him are: Partagas E No. 2 / H. Upmann Magnum 54 / Cohiba Robusto.
Visit Gstaad and have a look at Zwahlen-Hüni Cigares Tobacco!
Resources on the topic
- Photos of this post: FotoWerk 132
