Back in January the threat of 100% tariffs on European wine sent waves of panic through the trade. The collapse of an important segment of the industry was a real possibility with small importers and distributors among the most likely casualties. Collateral businesses were at risk, too; bars, restaurants, retailers and the supply chain cohort […]
Swiss Grapes—The Twins: Gamaret & Garanoir
Whenever I think of gamaret I immediately think of its less assertive twin, garanoir. And whenever I think of twins I immediately think of the Silva sisters, Sheila and Sonja. The dreaded sisters were the most formidable antagonists of my childhood and the first set of twins to enter my consciousness as classmates in kindergarten. I remember […]
The Women of Swiss Wine
By most accounts Switzerland is a pretty good place to be a woman. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—through its annual Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI)—Switzerland ranked first with the fewest impediments to gender equality (8.1%), ahead of next-in-line Denmark (10.4%) and third-place Sweden (10.5%). That’s pretty good company considering Scandinavia’s reputation […]
The Wine Advocate’s Latest Swiss Foray
It’s like a national holiday in the Confederation when The Wine Advocate shows up with new reporting on the nation’s wines. I can attest: everyone in the business is on alert — social media accounts fire-up, graphics departments get busy creating shelf-talkers and every commentator worth their weight in chasselas opines on the results. The current issue […]
A Taster’s Notes: My Path to Minerality
On a warm summer morning in 1986 I found myself marking time in a stale smelling bar-tabac drinking bad French coffee while fingering the last crumbs from a buttery apricot tart. Back then this part of the northern Rhône valley was nearly as famous for apricots as it was for grapes. The local vineyards had not fully […]
Sommelier Alert! A Roundup of Swiss Wines in the U.S. Market
Great news! It seems that an ever growing number of Swiss labels will soon be entering the U.S. market, many for the first time. The best Swiss producers are beginning to look outward for validation and the smart ones are looking to diversify their markets as the Swiss consumer retreats and a flood of cheaper imports […]
The Awkward Members of the Gamay Family
When most people talk Gamay they mean Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc the celebrated grape of Beaujolais. And since the vast majority of the Beaujolais vineyards are planted to Gamay noir the discussion usually ends there. There’s not much need to mention the thirty-eight approved and hundreds of unapproved clones residing in nurseries around the […]
Wine Tariffs — The End Game
Mid-January 2020 looms large in the world of wine. That’s when the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative closes the window on two public comment periods for the proposed 100% tariff on agricultural products emanating from the European Union, including wine. Most everyone in our business knows the story: Trump’s tariffs are in retaliation for […]
Swiss Wine: An Ill Wind Blows
There’s an ill wind blowing through the vineyards of Swiss Romande. After a decade of below-average harvests, and little wine to sell, the bumper crop of 2018 has left behind a glut and with it a bit of political turmoil. It seems during the down years, Swiss supermarkets — which sell more than 60% of […]
Profile: Clos de Tsampéhro (Flanthey, Valais)
It’s not exactly a secret garden — situated as it is mid-slope, in the middle of Valais — but Tsampéhro isn’t obvious either. From a distance it looks like any other vineyard along the Coteaux de Sierre, but upon closer inspection you might notice the low stone wall that surrounds it or the vibrant green, […]
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