01 – 05 September 2020

Spectacular mountain vistas, sparkling lakes, picture-postcard villages and an exciting mix of Germanic, French and Italian cultures. Add to that unrivalled quality and precision in all aspects of life and you have the hallmarks of this hugely picturesque country nestled in the heart of the Alps.
What it has to offer in wine terms for the discerning wine lover is nothing less than a feast for the senses. On a mere 15,000 ha of vineyards, it boasts a great diversity of terroirs, from gently rising slopes to incredibly steep stone-walled terraces that simply take your breath away. Here, a record number of grape varieties are cultivated (over 250!), including world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the finest Chasselas and a treasure trove of rare indigenous grapes, from the excellent white wines of Petite Arvine to many you have probably never heard of.
In short, with its thrilling diversity, quality and vitality, there could hardly be a more interesting wine destination nor better time to visit as the industry emerges onto the international market.

Highlights of this tour, which combines important regions of both French and German-speaking Switzerland:

• Personalised tours and tastings at the country´s top estates, from Vaud in the south-west, via Valais and Graubunden in the east, to Zurich in the north
• Crash course in native varieties, from A (for Amigne) to R (for Rèze)
• Exclusive visit to Changins, Switzerland´s renowned viticulture and oenology university
• Wine trail in Europe´s highest vineyard in Visperterminen, with jaw-dropping views of the Bietschhorn and Matterhorn mountains
• A boat trip on Lake Geneva for the best view of the stone-walled vineyard terraces of the UN world heritage site of Lavaux
• A ride on the famous Glacier Express as it travels through magnificent alpine scenery en route from Zermatt to St. Moritz
• Overnight stays in fabulous locations, not least the luxurious spa resort of Bad Ragaz
• Memorable meals, from a gourmet wine dinner to local culinary specialities, such as the country´s delicious fondue and raclette

Procedure
The full tour details will be out in the spring but I have included an outline for your information overpage. If you are interested in joining us, please send me an email as soon as possible as places are strictly limited. I will tentatively reserve a place for you – no obligation as yet. Then all you have to do is contact me again when you have the whole programme to let me know if you would like to go ahead with the booking.

TOUR OUTLINE
The trip starts in Geneva and ends in Zurich but Switzerland’s excellent transportation system makes it easy to travel between the two cities. There are frequent flights and an enviable train service – this is the only place that I know of where trains may actually leave before their scheduled time!

Tuesday, 1 September
We meet in Geneva, the cosmopolitan city located at the western end of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps. From here, we head east to the Changins viticultural university in Nyon for an introduction to the Swiss wine industry and the latest scientific developments.
Changins lies in the Vaud wine region, which frames the northern shore of the lake. It is the country´s second-largest region, but size is not its main feature: It is also one of its most beautiful.
Vaud is commonly known as the “Land of Chasselas”, the white grape that is so prevalent there is no need to mention it on the bottle label. It is a delicate variety and unexpectedly multifaceted in its ability to reveal various expressions depending on clones, terroir and winemaking. This is conveyed – in true Burgundian style – in the village and appellation names, the two most famous being GC Dézaley and Calamin. Both lie in the stunning sub-zone of Lavaux (a UNESCO world heritage site), which features thousands of stone terraces first chiselled into its slopes by the Cistercian monks in the 12^th century.
As these are best seen from below, we will hop onto a paddle steamer for a ride on the lake, before we go for a tour and tasting at one of the most lauded producers. Here you will not only get a feel for how Chasselas reacts to different sites and ageing regimes but be able to taste some of the region´s exciting reds.
Overnight stay in the Vaud.

Wednesday, 2 September
Today we focus on the Valais, Switzerland´s largest wine-producing region, famous for its wealth of indigenous grapes and arguably the best sweet wines in the country.
The Valais is a lateral alpine valley, situated along the banks of the fledgling river Rhone. Along with Chasselas (known here as Fendant), it is home to over 50 different varieties. Separated by the mountains from many other areas, the vines developed in isolation, giving rise to many grapes that are unique to the region. With high sunshine hours and limited rainfall, it also provides the climatic conditions necessary for the production of late-harvest wines, often labelled as “flétri” (or withered), referring to their partial raisining on the vine. To maintain quality standards, a few dozen of the best producers have banded together and created a strict quality charter, the Grain Noble ConfidenCiel.
As we move up the valley, you will notice a change in the place names. The Lower Valais belongs to French-speaking Switzerland, the Upper Valais to the German part. This difference is reflected not just in the mentality of the people, it is even said to impart itself in the wine: Are those from the Romandie (francophone side) really more charming and approachable, while those from the Deutschschweiz more firm and austere???
To get the most out of all of this, we will take a scenic walk in the vineyards, sample the delicious Walliser Raclette and visit some fabulous estates, among them the country´s largest producer, the (high-quality) cooperative ProVins, where we will have the opportunity to talk to the winemakers and sample a wide range of wines, including the rare specialities.
Overnight stay in the Valais.

Thursday, 3 September
In the morning we will round off our stay in the Valais with a stop in Visp in the upper reaches of the valley.
By the time you get here you will see why a 19^th-century British traveller described the region as “fearsomely wild”. Here, winegrowing is at its most extreme and the growers passionate about sustaining it despite the obvious challenges. This includes championing rarities such as Gwass (Gouais Blanc) – often referred to as the “Casanova” of the vine world due to its role in the creation of almost all the most worthwhile grapes that exist today -, as well as the exotically named Himbertscha, Lafnetscha and Rèze.
But perhaps its greatest fame lies at 1,150m in the small alpine village of Visperterminen, namely the highest vineyard in Europe. The narrow, stone-walled terraces that make winegrowing feasible here are home to another speciality – the Heida grape. Originally from the Jura region in France, it thrives in this steep, south-facing vineyard to produce a range of wine styles (both dry and sweet), among them a rare bottling from ungrafted vines.
In the expert hands of a local winemaker, we will gain a first-hand impression of steep-slope viticulture and learn all about the special wines that are made here.
After a light lunch, our day continues with another superlative – a ride on the famous Glacier Express, the ‘”slowest express train in the world”, which connects the Rhone and the Rhine valleys via countless bridges and tunnels. There are certainly faster ways to travel from Valais to Graubunden than this 4.5 hour trip, but few can compete when it comes to the breathtaking alpine scenery.
P.S. I have even heard there is a good bar service on board!
Overnight stay in Bad Ragaz (the first of two nights)

Friday, 4 September
If chiselled and brioche-laced Chardonnays and complex, layered Pinot Noirs are your thing, then this is your day. For although they are grown elsewhere in Switzerland, it is here they come into their own. “Here” refers to the Bundner Herrschaft – the so-called “Burgundy of Switzerland” -, comprising a string of wine villages running north to south along the eastern flank of the river Rhine (Graubunden). This is home to the international stars of Swiss Wine, pioneers who put the country on the world wine map. (It is incidentally also where Johanna Spyri was inspired to write her Heidi novels, making “Heidiland” – as the area has since been named – a tourist attraction in its own right!)
Blessed with natural conditions such as the limestone-rich, slate soils and the warm Foehn wind (aptly named Traubenkocher or “Grape Cooker”), the likes of Gantenbein and Donatsch began in the 1970s to produce wines in the Burgundian mode. This sparked innovation throughout the region and it is now a hotbed of viticultural activity with a plethora of fine wines to match.
We will experience this live during our estate visits, where we will get to taste not only the Burgundian grapes, but also Completer – a unique variety local to the region, so-called because it was the favourite tipple of the monks after their evening prayers (the “Completorium”). No need to say that today it is a sought-after rarity.
Overnight stay in Bad Ragaz.

Saturday, 5 September
On our final day we will turn our attention to a new hotspot: Zurich – the most important winegrowing canton in Eastern Switzerland that is currently experiencing a renaissance.
Just 150 years ago, the region comprised a whopping 5,500 hectares, but a series of disasters (both natural and man-made) brought the industry to its knees. Today, it measures a mere 600 hectares. Admittedly, comments on the wines found in the old chronicles were not exactly complimentary – the most common description was “sour”. Fortunately for us, the tide has turned and an increasing number of talented producers are injecting new life into the traditional varieties. But at the same time they are not afraid to introduce “imports” from abroad and new crossings, resulting in a surprising diversity of grapes and wine styles.
We will dip into this diversity as we drive up past Lake Zurich to the city, where we will bring the tour to a fitting close.
Drop-off at Zurich Kloten international airport in the late afternoon.

Interested? Then just send me an email to request further details.

Carolyn Lucas M.A. DipWSET
www.winesite.de
info@winesite.de