Thanks! Many of the wines tasted this month were courtesy of François Gauthier, the congenial partner at the excellent wine merchant La Cave de Reverolle, who invited me to their annual spring release tasting in Morges. La Cave de Reverolle is a fantastic source for top-quality French and Italian labels and their Swiss portfolio is […]
A Wine of Note: Blaise Duboux
Plant Robez 2014, Epesses, Blaise Duboux, Lavaux, Vaud (Plant Robert) This relic from another century is actually a local mutation of gamay noir boasting a scant ten hectares extant in a smattering of Lavaux villages. Left for dead as recently as 1966, several prescient growers gathered to plot its resurrection and in 2002 launched the […]
Natural Wine Part 2: Whither go the Swiss?
In Natural Wine Part 1: What Is It?—published in this blog on January 5, 2016 (see Menu)— I explored the current understanding of the term “natural” wine and the confusing lack of defining standards. Even though consensus is elusive—and maybe that’s how it should be—there is one thing everyone agrees on: a “natural” wine is […]
A Wine of Note: Domaine Wannaz
Merlot, “Chante” 2012, Coteaux de Léman, Domaine Wannaz, VdP Suisse The poem/tasting note on the front label, roughly translated, reads: “A flash of sour cherries and the scent of vanilla are the perfumes inhaled from the peace pipe of the all powerful.” I’d like to say that about sums it up, but I can’t, because […]
Le Chef: A New Dining Destination at Geneva International Airport
Benjamin Luzuy is a busy man. That’s what happens when talent meets opportunity. Always full of new ideas and the vision to execute them, Luzuy has proven ready to seize the moment when a landlord approaches him with a unique restaurant space in need of a partner-tenant or when a financier with capital seeks a […]
A Wine of Note: Valentina Andrei
Fendant 2014, Valentina Andrei, Valais (chasselas) On a quick visit to one of my favorite wine stores, Le Passeur du Vin in Geneva, I came across this little bit of history modestly floor-stacked among the new arrivals: the first vintage from Valentina Andrei’s eponymous winery. A transplanted Romanian, Ms. Andrei is already a bit of […]
Festival des Vieux Millésimes
This annual event and the accompanying Nuits des Vieux Millésimes were founded and organized by Alexandre Truffer, Swiss editor of the French language edition of Vinum Magazine, for the edification of Swiss wine enthusiasts and members of the general public. Its organization is simple: participating wineries choose up to ten wines that they believe best […]
A Wine of Note: Tom Litwan
Pinot Noir, “Chalofe” 2013, Thalheim (Tom Litwan), Aargau In a recent article wine writer and author Jon Bonné makes an obligatory end of year prediction designed to arouse controversy, to wit: Swabia will be Europe’s next great wine region. He notes the wines have already passed hipster muster in Brooklyn and San Francisco and are […]
Wine with Dinner: Randomly Chosen in February
Epesses, La Trinquette 2013, Pascal Fonjallaz, Lavaux-Vaud (chasselas): From a parcel located adjacent to the Grand Cru vineyards of Dézaley. Shimmery, mid-straw color. An aroma of gen-mai-cha, white flowers, pear and nuts is front and center. A medium-bodied palate follows with pear-like fruit, roasted notes and a firm mineral streak typical of chasselas. The texture […]
Profile: Paul-Henri Soler (Meyrin, Geneva)
Every once in a while I come across a winemaker whose character and art defy description. Ladies and gentlemen, I have recently met such a man, his name is Paul-Henri Soler. Mr. Soler came to my attention while I was researching the natural wine movement in Switzerland. He hails from the French side of the […]
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