Swiss Syrah learning curve Geneva was home to a terrific master class in June of Syrah wines from granite areas, a project offered by jointly by the AOC St Joseph in France and Fully vignérons in Valais, Switzerland. It included north of northern Rhone Syrahs from Valais and northern Rhone wines from France, whose vineyards […]
Search Results for: André Fontannaz
What makes a wine traditional?
Tradition is a hot word in wine marketing right now, one that reassures consumers – and yet few of us who are on the buying end of the sales chain question what it means, I think. If you have been making wine the same way for 50 years, does that make your wine traditional? 100 years? Or what […]
Top picks, reds from Vinea fair
I normally opt to taste a lot of Pinot Noir at the Vinea Wine Fair, but this year my focus was other reds, in particular Gamays and Cornalins. My notes on favourites from tasting them yesterday – Friday – follow, ending with other reds that were among my top wines tasted at Vinea. This year […]
Ski slopes and Petite Arvine
Note: At the end here you’ll find an interview done with me by Tony Johnston at WRS radio in Geneva, about Petite Arvine, one of Switzerland’s most interesting “native” specialty grapes. Tony and I have agreed to talk about a Swiss wine pick of mine every three weeks. This is not a commercial agreement and […]
Valais winery Ch. Bonvin named Winery of the Year
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Charles Bonvin, one of the oldest wineries in canton Valais, and a family enterprise, was named the Swiss Winery of the Year Tuesday 21 October at a gala event in Bern. The title was awarded along with gold and silver medals and special prizes at a gala event for the Grand Prix […]