The impact of the lunar eclipse on my glass of wine was zero because I was wisely sipping hot lemon and ginger tea at 4:30 this morning, a chilly wind rustling the nearby palm trees loudly. I had slept for 4 hours, then woke up to see if the moon show was worth my time. […]
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Swiss winery wins world tourism “public choice” vote
Celliers de Sion, the year-old wine tourism centre in Sion, is capping its first year with yet another prize: the “public choice award” among the international finalists at the Great Wine Capitals of the World wine tourism awards. The new venture was given an “international best of wine tourism award” in Adelaide, Australia in early […]
Sampling more Swiss Syrahs
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 […]
Could biodynamic be the future of Swiss wine?
Nicolas Joly pitches biodynamic to the Swiss Nicolas Joly is a superstar in the increasingly accepted world of biodynamic winemaking, although he would probably cringe at that label. But a presentation Monday night in Valais, at the Tsampéhro cellar in Flanthey, made it was easy to see why he’s not just another farmer touting natural […]
Chef of the year Giovannini, on pistachios
The year the second chef became the owner Yesterday I learned I am one of the 80-85% of people who eat at the Hôtel de Ville Crissier who, as it turns out, are local folk, not tourists from abroad at all. Franck Giovannini, head chef, gave some of us the figure when we spoke after lunch, […]