Some 1,200 wines from 110 Valais producers are ready to be sampled at this largest of Swiss wine festivals, where 10,000 people are expected. The special guest wine production area this year, for the festival’s 15th year, is St Emilion, France – doubly special because the producers’ group there, the Collège des Vins de St-Emilion is offering Vinea a first: open-air tastings of its wines, offered to the public. The festival will also be showcasing different risottos from neighbouring Italy, Nez du Vin aroma kits, and there are activities for children as well as hikes through the vineyard and guided tours along the Vinea street. The entry fee is CHF30 (all wines tasted for free as long as you have a Vinea 2008 glass).
Ed. note: GenevaLunch will carry several wine features related to Vinea after the festival
Programme for the weekend
Avenue Général Guisan, city centre, Sierre
Saturday 6 September, 10:00-17:00
Sunday, 7 September, 10:00-17 :00
details: www.vinea.ch
Tasting passport: CHF30/day
Free parking at the Plaine Bellevue
Public transport: the event takes place very near the CFF train station
Childcare, free for children age three or over, maximum three hours
Location: La Terrasse shopping centre, first floor
Daily from 11:00-17:00
Vinea Junior
Specially designed for children, an opportunity for them to explore their senses of smell and taste, through a blind tasting of different flavoured drinks.
Photos: Anchette, above Sierre, Friday morning
New this year: Download the VINEA tasting notebook to your cell phone, free of charge. See www.vinea.ch for details
Guided tours: ask at the entrance
Wines from the rest of Switzerland and the world: You can explore the wines of the Collège des vins de Saint-Emilion and the Baronnie du Dézaley whose grapes are grown on the magnificent hillsides of Lavaux, a Unesco World Heritage site, as well as those from Ticino, and meet the men and women who produce these wines.
Valais raclette, 2008 summer pasture cheeses
The food stand, Ovronnaz : Cheese and mountain, invites you to mix the wonderful smells of VINEA’s wines with Valais raclette cheeses. Start by sampling three raclettes from the Valais alpine pastures from the summer of 2008. The cheeses are selected by Claude Luisier, master cheesemaker.
Also on offer: The Maison de Courten cellars, photo exhibit: “Wine is a natural emotion”
After more than 10 years of travels, crossing 16 countries, Jan yng joon, South Korean photographer, presents his “Wine is a natural emotion” exhibit which shows his vision of the world of wine, rich in colour, line and form.
Maison de Courten cellars
Rue du Bourg, free entry
During VINEA, 6-7 September, open 10:00-19:00