Swiss wines

Written for www.therestaurantgame.com

Hidden elegance

The Swiss have kept a bit hush-hush about their wines until quite recently – a tasting in London last year organised by the Exporters’ Association proved to be an eye-opener, and they exhibited at this year’s Restaurant Show. Images of mountains, snow and great lakes don’t perhaps automatically conjure up vineyards, but wine is made in similar environments elsewhere in the world, not to mention just across the borders in France and Italy. Overall production is very small with only 15000 hectares of vines planted, and yields are quite low; in addition, a mere 1% of this is exported at the moment.

Although the different regions vary in climate, terrain and soil, the wine styles – just over half being aromatic whites – are generally elegant and lighter but also diverse. Elegance isn’t exactly fashionable in the UK right now, but the wines offer some variety in the face of full-bodied and richly fruity southern hemisphere styles, and maybe more obvious food compatibility. Annie Schwab, owner with her Swiss husband chef at 2 Star Michelin restaurant Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire, agrees: “we serve delicate food here - and of course Rösti and dishes using Swiss cheeses - which suits Swiss wines.”

Unusual grapes

So which grape varieties are planted and where and what are the wines like? The main wine cantons are: Neuchâtel, Vaud and Geneva in the west; Valais in the south-west; Ticino in the south bordering Italy, Zürich and the small area of Schaffhausen in the north-east touching Germany. White grapes include familiar names such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon and Pinot Gris; and new discoveries like Chasselas (also known as Fendant) and Petite Arvine. Reds include Pinot Noir and Merlot but also Gamay, Cornalin and Humagne rouge.

The Valais is the largest wine region and at least one third of total Swiss production is sourced here from the steep slopes of the upper Rhône valley; the split is 45 - 55 white to red. Fendant/Chasselas is abundant and can be a bit dull – Charles Bonvin Fils makes a decent example at Domaine Brûlefer called ‘Fendant de Sion’ 1998, which is zesty, ‘lees-y’ and crisp.

Petite Arvine

This is a modest-yielding, ancient variety (probably originating in Italy) and can naturally attain 12 to 13% alcohol giving full-bodied wines. One of the most interesting comes from René Favre, a rich barrel aged wine with honeyed spice and long acidity called ‘St. Pierre Grande Année’, and the 1997 is listed at Ransom’s Dock in London’s Battersea for £28.00. Proprietor Martin Lam comments: “All three (Swiss wines) sell well - bought by lovers of good wine, Swiss and otherwise!” Other producers of quality Petite Arvine in Valais include Robert Gilliard and Caves Imesch; the latter’s 1997 is £35 on Winteringham Fields’ list. Obscure grapes may add quirky interest to a country and a wine list, but will people buy something they don’t recognise? Annie Schwab adds: “We list sixteen Swiss wines and you’ve got to sell them; provided the sommelier knows something about them, they can recommend with certain dishes.”

On the Dôle

The red speciality of Valais is Dôle, which can be made from 100% Pinot Noir or (more usually) blended with a smaller proportion of Gamay (the Beaujolais grape) and even a tad of other varieties such as Syrah. The style depends on the winemaker - Caves Imesch produces an attractively fruity and spicy one called ‘Soleil de Sierre’; Frédéric Varone’s ‘Valeria’ is more serious and closer to Burgundy.

Pinot Noir also makes some attractive dry rosés – Ransom’s Dock sells ’99 ‘Oeil-de-Perdrix’ made by Les Perrières (Geneva) for £16.50 and by the glass too – and is the staple grape in German Switzerland. Red wines dominate too in the Italian speaking province of Ticino, where Merlot has virtually replaced all local varieties. Tamborini Vini craft some lovely, full-flavoured and earthy (although rather expensive) Merlots such as the 1994 San Zeno Riserva listed at Winteringham Fields for £41.

Value?

Switzerland’s biggest hurdle will be to convince people that their wines are worth the money. Robert Steel from specialist importer For the Love of Wine, who represents Favre, Tamborini, les Perrières and Imesch amongst others, is aware of this but upbeat. “Price is an issue but these are quality wines in an equivalent price bracket to others at the quality end of the market. Restaurants tend to be more at the top end.” Further stockists include Pont de la Tour, Hotels du Vin and Babbington House. Of course Swiss restaurants are natural outlets for the wines and should find it easier to sell them; St. Moritz in Soho imports its own from Caves Orsat and has red and white house wines for a relatively reasonable £12.95.

Awareness

Brian Walling of Beck Marketing, who’s involved in the generic promotion of Swiss wine, expands on the issues. “It’s started to take off in the on-trade but has been hampered by the fact that Swiss wines don’t have entry level price points, like for example wines in supermarkets written about by journalists which help to raise awareness with the public and restaurateurs.” This is obviously key to success – Juniper restaurant in Altrincham just south of Manchester, who list a Swiss dessert wine, agree: “we’re trying to educate people and get them to be more adventurous.” Walling continues: “It’s been a long hard slog but there are now about 30 different distributors serving the on-trade nationally or locally.”

These include For the Love of Wine (tel. 01280 822500), Harrison Vintners in the City (020 7236 7716) and St. Martin Vintners in Brighton (01273 777788). For further information contact the Swiss Wine Exporters’ Association (020 7287 6117) or Beck Marketing (020 7582 8811).