Christine Dissertori

Apples, stories and a lot of heart in Tramin

When Christine Dissertori guides people through the orchards of Tramin, she is not speaking like an apple ambassador who has learned everything by heart. She speaks as a farmer who has worked with nature her entire life. A woman who knows what a hailstorm feels like, what a ripe apple smells like — and how much work, patience and heart are behind it until a healthy apple grows from a blossom.

Christine grew up in Tramin, on a farm that has belonged to her family for generations. She grew up with agriculture. “Our father taught us from childhood how valuable nature and the farming profession really are,” she says. And this understanding still accompanies her today — as a farmer, apple ambassador and now also as a trained apple sommelier.

For Christine, it is no longer only about apples. It is about understanding. About honesty. And about bringing people closer again to what agriculture really means. “We farmers are used to working — and not to speaking loudly,” she says calmly. “But today you have to explain to people what we do and why we do it.”

Especially the discussions surrounding modern fruit growing made her realize how important direct dialogue has become. That is why she began training as an apple ambassador a few years ago. Not to advertise. But to involve people. To take away their fears. And to show how much knowledge, responsibility and love are behind a single apple. Anyone walking through the orchards with Christine quickly realizes: her tours are not classic technical lectures. Of course, she talks about varieties, cultivation and harvest. But also about village life, togetherness, little stories from Tramin and sometimes memories from earlier times.

“Actually, it’s never just an apple tour,” she says laughing. “There’s always a little village tour included.”

Then she talks about St. Jacob’s Church, about hiking trails around the village or about the people who live here. Perhaps it is exactly this mix of down-to-earth attitude, knowledge and personal warmth that makes her tours so special. And although Christine has now completed her training as an apple sommelier, she does not seem distant or pretentious at all. Quite the opposite. This additional knowledge seems to have deepened her enthusiasm even more.

“People often think: an apple is just an apple. But that is not true at all.”

She talks about aromas, juiciness, texture and how different the individual varieties can taste. Almost like wine. Gala apples with cheese. Granny Smith with chocolate. Golden Delicious with speck. Pairings that surprise — and suddenly feel completely natural once you taste them. She especially enjoys remembering small tastings with guests, when amazement suddenly appears. “Many people then say: I would never have thought apples could taste so different.”

And sometimes it is the children who touch her the most. When they enthusiastically look for beneficial insects in the orchards or bravely bite into a sour Granny Smith during a tasting.

“That still surprises me again and again,” Christine says smiling. “Children can often truly be inspired.”

For her, working as an apple ambassador is also a welcome change from everyday life on the farm. Because although there is always enough work there, she enjoys interacting with people. “I enjoy working with people. And I think it’s wonderful when you can also pass something on — not only about apples, but also about our culture, our landscape and our village.”

That is exactly why her tours remain in many guests’ memories for a long time. Perhaps also because Christine stages nothing. She speaks honestly about challenges, weather, new diseases, bureaucracy or crop protection. Openly, calmly and without avoiding any topic.

“If we did not treat the apples at all, we probably would not be able to harvest any in autumn,” she explains matter-of-factly. At the same time, she talks about strict controls, limits and the goal of working as sustainably as possible. Not in a preachy way — but in an understandable one. And that is exactly what creates trust.

For Christine, agriculture is neither a romantic image nor a political slogan. It is life. Every day. With joy, but also with responsibility. “There have always been challenges,” she says. “And often new ideas emerge precisely from crises.” Despite all the changes, she looks positively toward the future. For her, the most important thing is to continue inspiring young people for agriculture. “But enthusiasm alone is not enough,” she says honestly. “You also have to be able to make a living from it.”

Perhaps it is exactly this combination of realism, warmth and genuine passion that makes Christine Dissertori so special. She does not tell stories about a perfect world. She tells stories about a real one. And anyone standing with her at the end among the orchards of Tramin, tasting an apple and listening to her stories, suddenly understands: inside an apple there is much more than fruit flesh. There is landscape. Work. Family. Memory. And sometimes also a small piece of home.

(Interview  Erica Furini)
May 2026