In my opinion, the canton of Geneva is the most complicated and frustrating wine region in Switzerland. To be sure, many great wines are made here by supremely skilled artisans, but there are still too many sub-standard wines born out of complacency and lack of inspiration. It seems that while the rest of Switzerland is […]
Tag: Garanoir
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 […]
Profile: Domaine Dugerdil, Dardagny, Geneva
From the top of the slope in Dardagny (see header photo) there is so much to see. There are the undulating vineyards, of course, and the sleeping-cat form of Mont Salève in the distance. Close by is a mystical place of geological importance — the end of the Jura and the beginning of the Alps. […]
Clos des Gondettes (Satigny, Geneva)
Look at a current political map of Europe and you might notice the outline of a limp handshake (choose your own piece of anatomy) where western Switzerland meets France. It looks limp for a reason. As a one time exclave—entirely surrounded by France and the old Duchy of Savoy—Geneva existed as an on-again, off-again city-state […]
A Wine of Note: Domaine du Clos des Pins (Dardagny, Geneva)
Gamaret, Mandragore 2013, Domaine du Clos des Pins, Dardagny, Geneva I was introduced to this wine by the sommelier at Le Philanthrope, an excellent new restaurant near Plainpalais in Geneva, as a potential match for a course of raw milk cheese. I hesitated for two reasons: I prefer white wine with cheese and I’m not the […]
Wine with Dinner: Randomly Chosen in October
It’s the end of another month so here is a rundown of the bottles popped and enjoyed. I am beginning to recognize that Switzerland is a treasure trove of unique wines, places and people. There is passion and dedication here and we are beginning to see lots of experimentation to boot. There is a natural […]
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