WINES TO BANK ON: THE SWISS ACCOUNT.
© GAEL ARTHUR.
Cheese and chocolate, mountains and lakes, watches and secret bank accounts – these are the images that come to mind when the unassuming landlocked country of Switzerland is mentioned.

If alcoholic beverages are mentioned at all, it is in the context of a Saint Bernard dog and a cask of rum, or perhaps as the birthplace and recent rebirth of absinthe.

While wine may not be its top drawing card, Switzerland offers that wonderful experience of getting to taste something not available at home – or almost anywhere else. Until recently, Swiss wines were rarely exported. Onerous barriers to trade restricted imports of white wine, so domestic demand artificially supported the industry.

A World Trade Organization ruling ripped open the borders to imports a few years ago, forcing Swiss producers to begin competing with a flood of imports. The new breed of Swiss winemaker is rising to the challenge of a more open market, proving that superb wines are not the exception here. It is simply a matter of working with the right varieties for the land and an overriding obsession with quality.

Like the rest of Europe, the Romans get credit for bringing grape vines to Switzerland.

The Museum of Wine in Aigle travels through the intervening centuries, reminding us that winemaking is essentially an agricultural process, dependent on good weather and a lot of hard physical labour.

The terrific collection of wine labels serves as a reminder that every wine region has a different visual sensibility. What is garish in one is the norm for another; the labels of earlier eras provide a captivating window on the times. Swiss wine labels are often cluttered and can be less than helpful in communicating what is in the bottle.

Before leaving Aigle, it is worth exploring the town - it is easy to get distracted on the short walk from the wine museum back to the train station, as narrow little streets provide ample temptations for all the senses. The steep slopes on the edge of town show how the Swiss have wedged vines into the sides of the mountains, building rock walls to deter erosion.

Planting, pruning and harvesting are a challenge here, and it is easy to understand why some Swiss producers have been tempted to overcrop. Regulations regarding yields vary from canton to canton.

Forget about Switzerland as a unified country – it is very much an uneasy union of fiercely independent groups and wine styles reinforce these differences. Better producers crop to much lower yields than the regulations dictate, knowing the experienced wine consumer will pay for quality.

With vineyards and wine tasting forming the background theme of a trip, encountering good food and interesting people is virtually guaranteed. The trick is to find the right doors to knock on. While the Geneva tourist office staff are keen to help, they are not allowed to recommend one winery over another (sound familiar?). They do, however, provide a helpful map with local wine bars duly marked in red and are induced to point out the best place to start.

Robert and Julien Guelpa, a perfect father and son combination running Boulevard du Vin, have no problem recommending wines and wineries – it is their livelihood. Guelpa père is so proud of the wines of Geneva that he should be named honorary ambassador.

After an obligatory taste of two or three wines and a philosophical discussion about the state of wine in the world, it is Guelpa’s reference that opens the door at Domaine du Paradis, where Roger Burgdorfer does a lot more than make good wine.

Burgdorfer began making wine twenty years ago, slowly expanding his property as cash flow permitted. In addition to his vines, Burgdorfer runs one of three Swiss grafting operations, which means he is constantly in contact with other grape growers, supplying them with rootstock as they replant their vineyards.

Like most countries, the noble varieties are popular, with chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon vines in constant demand.

On the winemaking side, Burgdorfer is a small player, with 30 hectares divided over 15 or more varietals.

His knowledge of viticulture (and easy access to new vines) gives him a distinct advantage – he can experiment with small plantings of different varieties, not only the new Swiss hybrids like Gamaret (a cross between Gamay and the German Reichensteiner), but also the improbable Zinfandel. Not Primitivo, but a UC Davis clone of zinfandel.

The wines are good – two of his wines make the cut to come back to Canada with me. If only airplanes were as accommodating and spacious as Swiss trains.

From an early age, the Swiss are trained to think first of public transportation. Little wonder, as a rail pass is really a transportation pass, extending to boats across the numerous lakes, buses within the cities and the post bus system that connects all the tiny mountain villages.

On a day trip to Martigny to see an art exhibition, the bus waiting outside the train station leaves exactly on schedule. As the twenty or so day trippers descend at the stop nearest the Fondation Pierre Gianadda, the bus driver announces to his esteemed guests that the return bus will stop across the street every half hour, at eleven and forty-one.

The trains are clean, frequent and the only way to visit Switzerland. A rail pass is a bargain, considerably less expensive and less hassle than a rental car, an even better deal when European fuel prices and the cost of the elusive parking spots are factored into the equation.

The Neuchâtel region is not the most famous of the Swiss wine regions, but when a Burgundian tells you that Château d’Auvernier is making outstanding wines, it is worth the trip.

Auvernier is a small town idyllically situated on the north side of the lake, its vines taking full advantage of the moderating influence of the water and a full southern exposure.

Château d’Auvernier has been home to the same family for more than four hundred years; the property had been in vines for a few centuries before that.

The ancestral home remains the focal point of the little town just outside the canton capital, standing out above the rest of the town.

Tasting the wines in a room redolent with the history of the property and the community is initially distracting, but crisp whites, Chasselas, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris, bring things back into focus.

The château has invested heavily in upgrading the operation over the past five years and it is reflected in the wines.

Chasselas (also known as Fendant) is the grape variety for which Switzerland is best known – when well-made, it is aromatic, crisp and thoroughly delightful (particularly when served with the freshwater fish of Lake Neuchâtel or Léman).

There are a few producers of Chasselas in British Columbia, but in general, it is a wine that has lost favour, perhaps in part because it is difficult to make it well. In BC, St. Hubertus makes a good Chasselas, which is not a surprise, as the Swiss-born Gebert brothers know what they are striving to attain.

The rosé version of Pinot Noir, Oeil de Perdrix, traces its origins to Chateau d’Auvernier, where grapes were inadvertently pressed before fermentation. Like other rosés made from good quality grapes, this wine is wonderfully fruity and perfect for summer drinking.

Switzerland has had its share of the European heat waves over the past few years – the red wines have profited, with riper fruit contributing flavour, colour and depth.

Marc Ramu’s 2003 Domaine des Pins Gamay from Dardagny shows all the elegance of a Morgon or Côte de Brouilly – it too makes the cut for the trip back to Canada.

 

Back in Geneva, a dinner at Chez Jacky confirms just how loyal the locals are in supporting their wine industry. While the list includes a range of French wines, the Swiss selection is far better value and our server is keen to make suggestions. The wines match the food, which is classic French with a good range of twists – the fresh water fish (and frogs’ legs for the more adventuresome) are a perfect foil for the wines. Dinner is far from outrageous and is superior to what the same money would buy in Vancouver or Toronto.

Swiss winemakers are beginning to seriously look at exporting their wines. As they search for a niche amongst the wine producing regions of the world, they would do well to focus on the unique wines they produce. The world isn’t waiting for another oaky Chardonnay or Merlot, and certainly not at a price to cover Swiss production costs.

A few web sites to help plan your trip:

Swiss tourism site: http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/welcome.cfm

Museum of wine, Aigle (web site in French only): : http://www.chateauaigle.ch

Boulevard du Vin: : http://www.boulevard-du-vin.ch

Domaine du Paradis - : http://www.domaine-du-paradis.ch

Château d’Auvernier - : http://www.chateau-auvernier.ch

Words & Pictures
by Gael Arthur ©