Swiss Wines
When people think of Switzerland, they often think of chocolate, Gruyère cheese, watches, bank accounts, Roger Federer, the Alps, St. Bernards and army knives. But Switzerland also produces a huge range of wines from many different regions, and has done for more than 2,000 years.
In 2010, I had to go to Rome for a few days and flew through Zurich, Switzerland to get there. Afterwards, I flew back to Zurich, then drove to Alsace to see my eau de vie producer, the Metté family. Before heading back to the states, I decided to return to Switzerland, this time to inspect the wine regions, check out the terroir and sniff around a bunch of producer’s cellars.
In 2010, I had to go to Rome for a few days and flew through Zurich, Switzerland to get there. Afterwards, I flew back to Zurich, then drove to Alsace to see my eau de vie producer, the Metté family. Before heading back to the states, I decided to return to Switzerland, this time to inspect the wine regions, check out the terroir and sniff around a bunch of producer’s cellars.
Le Vaud
I grew up near the water and I live next to the water now. By water, I’m talking ocean, something I’ve always thought to be incredibly beautiful. But when you look out at the ocean, past the waves, past the various shades of water, you see the horizon. And unless the sun is setting along that long, vast line, there’s not a hell of a lot else to look at.
While never that attracted to lakes, I recently began to realize that they can be even more beautiful than oceans, mostly because of what lies behind the body of water. With lakes, you still get the glistening, moving, liquid thing, but you also get trees, hills and, in Switzerland’s case, mountains. In short, the background completes the picture with a sense of depth.
Lac Leman, as it is known to the entire world except Americans (who call it Lake Geneva) is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and rests between France and Switzerland at about 1,230 feet (375 meters) altitude. The lake has a crescent shape, is about 45 miles (73 kilometers) long and has a maximum width of 8.7 miles (14 kilometers). At its eastern tip lies the city of Geneva. Along the south lies France and the Savoie zones that specialize in Chasselas. To the west, past the city of Montreux, lies the entrance to the Valais. The city of Lausanne lies on its northern edge.
The vineyards that lie along the northern edge of the lake are part of the Vaud canton, Switzerland's second most important wine zone. The Vaud is distributed across three sub-regions: Chablais, La Côte and Lavaux. Beginning in the 10th century, monks cleared the slopes and started to cultivate vines in the Vaud. The rocks deposited by the glaciers were then used to build the stone walls supporting the terraces. Today, 818 hectares are devoted to growing grapes. The climate is moderated by the waters of the lake, which reduce spring frosts and summertime highs.
I grew up near the water and I live next to the water now. By water, I’m talking ocean, something I’ve always thought to be incredibly beautiful. But when you look out at the ocean, past the waves, past the various shades of water, you see the horizon. And unless the sun is setting along that long, vast line, there’s not a hell of a lot else to look at.
While never that attracted to lakes, I recently began to realize that they can be even more beautiful than oceans, mostly because of what lies behind the body of water. With lakes, you still get the glistening, moving, liquid thing, but you also get trees, hills and, in Switzerland’s case, mountains. In short, the background completes the picture with a sense of depth.
Lac Leman, as it is known to the entire world except Americans (who call it Lake Geneva) is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and rests between France and Switzerland at about 1,230 feet (375 meters) altitude. The lake has a crescent shape, is about 45 miles (73 kilometers) long and has a maximum width of 8.7 miles (14 kilometers). At its eastern tip lies the city of Geneva. Along the south lies France and the Savoie zones that specialize in Chasselas. To the west, past the city of Montreux, lies the entrance to the Valais. The city of Lausanne lies on its northern edge.
The vineyards that lie along the northern edge of the lake are part of the Vaud canton, Switzerland's second most important wine zone. The Vaud is distributed across three sub-regions: Chablais, La Côte and Lavaux. Beginning in the 10th century, monks cleared the slopes and started to cultivate vines in the Vaud. The rocks deposited by the glaciers were then used to build the stone walls supporting the terraces. Today, 818 hectares are devoted to growing grapes. The climate is moderated by the waters of the lake, which reduce spring frosts and summertime highs.
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The soil types change dramatically every hundred meters, giving the wines from each grand cru a particular identity. The slopes are fractured by stone walls that separate the vineyards. They are part of the three suns of Lavaux, that include direct sunlight, the sun’s reflection off the lake, and the sun’s reflection off the stone walls. Looking up at the vineyards from the lake, not much is visible except the stone walls. Walk 600 meters above and look down at the lake and one sees nothing but vines. It is no surprise that these amazing vineyards, impossible to work with a machine and necessitating only human labor, are also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Between Geneva and Lausanne, the vineyards are part of a network called La Côte, planted mainly with Chasselas along gently angled slopes. About ten kilometers west of Lausanne lies the Vaud’s most impressive vineyards in the area called Lavaux from which the region’s top wines come. It is here that we find the region’s Grand Crus including Dézaley, Epesses and Saint Saphorin, where the steep terraced vineyards plunge from hillside villages right to the edge of Lake Geneva.
Between Geneva and Lausanne, the vineyards are part of a network called La Côte, planted mainly with Chasselas along gently angled slopes. About ten kilometers west of Lausanne lies the Vaud’s most impressive vineyards in the area called Lavaux from which the region’s top wines come. It is here that we find the region’s Grand Crus including Dézaley, Epesses and Saint Saphorin, where the steep terraced vineyards plunge from hillside villages right to the edge of Lake Geneva.
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Chasselas rules in the Vaud, flourishing on its chalky limestone soils and underlying alkaline earth. Chasselas is particularly adept at expressing differences in climatic conditions and soil compositions. While there are several theories about the origin of Chasselas, it seems that most of them lead back to Switzerland around Lake Geneva. In 2009, there were over 4,000 hectares planted to Chasselas. The grape also goes under the name of Perlan in the Mandement district, and in the Valais its wine is known as Fendant.
The wine from Chasselas tends to be medium-bodied and floral, with plenty of underlying acidity and minerality. The amount of fruitiness and minerals will depend on the terroir. The wines are commonly drunk young, but will age when stored properly for over ten years. They are perfectly suited as an aperitif or with lighter meals, such as white fish and salads. There are also those that will drink no other wine than Chasselas with fondue or raclette.
The wine from Chasselas tends to be medium-bodied and floral, with plenty of underlying acidity and minerality. The amount of fruitiness and minerals will depend on the terroir. The wines are commonly drunk young, but will age when stored properly for over ten years. They are perfectly suited as an aperitif or with lighter meals, such as white fish and salads. There are also those that will drink no other wine than Chasselas with fondue or raclette.