The Mémoire des Vins Suisses, which regroups many of Switzerland’s best wine producers, has approved me as a non-producer member, at their recent annual meeting. It’s an honour, and I’m delighted, because the wineries are widely considered among the best in Switzerland and membership is by invitation only. I appreciate their recognition that serious writing […]
grape varieties
Tradition, winemaking’s great myth
Note: I asked Alexandre if I could translate and publish an English version of this because I felt the article makes a very important point, one not often heard. As a wine writer who is on the fringes of the wine industry – I don’t sell wine, I don’t promote wineries for money – I’m bothered by […]
Time to replant Chasselas vines
I stopped by to watch as neighbour Jacques Rochat and his team replanted 4,000 m2 of Chasselas vines Wednesday, in Saint Prex. Daunting work, even with a tractor, and they were taking a welcome morning hot tea and croissants break. The vines produce part of our village wine, in the Morges appellation area. I’ll soon […]
Nutshell guide to visiting Arvinis
MORGES, SWITZERLAND – A couple people have said what they would really like are some suggestions about how to visit Arvinis and a) not end up drunk and b) learn something about wine c) while enjoying themselves. The problem with any wine fair is that it’s daunting, especially if you’re not familiar with many of […]
Open Day in Geneva: how to visit wineries, where to go (update)
Update 29 May Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Geneva is the grandaddy of Swiss wine open days: it was the first to offer this, in 1987, and the event has become hugely popular. Several things contribute to this: almost all the cellars participate, some 80 out of 95, they are geographically fairly close so it is […]