A few things coalesced to make this year’s Célébration du Non-Filtré in canton Neuchâtel a must attend event. First, it was the 50th anniversary of the initial release in 1975. That’s an amazing run for a wine that was once considered a local oddity. Second, six years had passed since I first wrote about the […]
Tag: Neuchatel
2023: A Summer of Tasting—Episode One
Swiss Natural Wine Festival: Three Years Later As a seasoned taster, you might think the biggest downer to afflict a natural wine event would be the opinions of a few chip-on-the-shoulder wine critics who write for magazines nobody reads anymore. But you would be wrong. The biggest downer, as I recently discovered, is a climate […]
Chasselas at a Crossroad: The Vaud Rescue Plan
Recently the Canton of Vaud unveiled a new three-pronged plan to help stabilize a wine industry beset by foreign competition and climate-related setbacks. The plan, which runs through 2027, earmarks 25 million francs for new sustainability initiatives, targeted investment in e-commerce and digital infrastructure, and an aggressive, yet undefined, consumer awareness campaign aimed at German-speaking […]
Neuchâtel Non Filtré: Let Yourself Be Disturbed
Every year on the third Wednesday in January, at five-o’clock sharp, there’s a party in the charming Swiss city of Neuchâtel. It’s not a raucous affair with loud music or wild dancing; instead, it’s a dignified civic event with some costume-clad celebrants and some excellent young wine to drink. Good wine, however, is in the […]
Profile: Domaine de la Maison Carrée (Auvernier, Neuchâtel)
There is a special quiet to a traditional wine village at rest. No people, no sounds, no stress, and only meters from the past season’s slumbering wine behind the solid walls that line the street. For me, walking the streets is the perfect preparation for tasting. I call it calibrating the senses—listening carefully for 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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