Don't Know Anything About Swiss Wines?

[Craig Camp]

Last year Switzerland exported 1.5 million litres of wine - a mere drop in the ocean alongside imports of more than 160 million litres.

[Boris_A]

Export ratio of Swiss wine is under 1%. About 7000-10'000 bottles are flooding the US market per year.

Chasselas is the main variety and tells an interesting story.

It's among the oldest varieties we know. I learned that it's orogins might go back to 8000 bC and that the Aegypts did it know (5000 bC).

It seems that the Romans brought it to Switzerland. At the border of the lake of Geneva, it's planted for 800 years now, I was told.

Today, apart from Alsace (where more planting started recently, I heard!) and minuscule quantities in Germany, it's only in Switzerland where we find Chasselas today.

I wasn't a fan either because of the "lack of character" prejudice, confirmed by many bottles produced by less caring growers.

But when I met a young grower (Pierre Leyvraz), deeply commited to produce Chasselas of concentration and intense character, I was converted in a second. Interfestingly, his Saint Saphorin improves with 3-4 years cellaring.

A little glass of his wine together with a little piece of Gruyère Surchoix - and you know why our common ancestor Epicurius was reminded of paradise when he had great cheese together with great wine.

Because many Chasselas from big producers is rather uninteresting and confirming old prejudices, this peculiar wine doesn't cost more than $10-$11. That's unmatched for a bottle of intense, characteristic, spicey wine, produced from one of the oldest varieties of this this world.

I admit, my opinion has a lot to do with my general experience (especially in the realms of gourmandrie), that things that have been able to exist for a long time, are mostly not outdated, but out of favor only. In the world of 'vin médiatique', like the French say so nicely, this is truer than ever, I dare to say.

[Brad Ballinger]

Have never seen any in Minnesota. Where I have seen Swiss wines, though, I've also seen prices that start in the upper $20s/lower $30s (so I've obviously never seen the bottle Boris referenced). That's a tough starting point, especially when I know there are many German wines I like for half that. I know, I know, it's not necessarily riesling in Switzerland, but...

[Boris_A]

so I've obviously never seen the bottle Boris referenced

Maybe you've seen then, but sometimes the US prices for imported wines are a rip off. The dealers here in Europe are not shy to lock in some profit, but sometimes I see those prices being doubled(!) in the US. Shipping cost should not be more than 20c a bottle, BTW. BUT there are stiff import tariffs, AFAIK. $3-4 per bottle.

[Carema]

We just got a whole bunch of swiss wines in. They make a lot more sense when paired with boiled potatoes, cheese and pickles, they really do.

We have a white merlot, a Pinot Gamay blend, a Chesselas (of course) and a weird Charmant bubble made with hybrid grapes (Isabella) that is musty lusty and strawberry delicieux!

Everything is under 20 bucks except the white merlot is 25.

There is a guy in Wisconsin importing these. His name is Laurent crolla and his email is sales@swisscellars.com

He is very resourceful. Another distributor is clearing his wines for him here in Illinois. Henry at Spiaggia has a few bottles on the list as well.