Alpine wines are getting quite a bit of press recently and as a buyer I am presented with a lot more wines from Switzerland, as well as Savoie than I was a decade or so ago (which was when The Wine Society listed its first ever Swiss wine). Quality is almost certainly improving as these wines compete on the world stage, but perhaps the main reason for this notable rise is that the wines are finally being offered outside of their local and domestic markets. It is worth noting that up until recently only 2% of Swiss wines were ever exported! It’s a similar situation for the wines from the Savoie – while you may have enjoyed them on your Alpine ski resort, you would have struggled to find them when returning home.
The Wine Society has previously dipped its toe into offering Swiss wines, yet we have recently expanded the range further with ex-Jaboulet winemaker Caroline Frey’s exciting new Swiss project, as well as an extremely competitively priced chasselas from Famille Testuz. We have been working with Jean-François Quénard in Chignin for a few years, who has recently been joined by his daughter Anne-Sophie who is bringing increased energy into the estate. They produce a sparkling wine plus lighter bodied whites and reds with modest alcohols from jacquère, bergeron (roussanne) and mondeuse that are top quality and very well-priced.
Rather excitingly, I tasted the gringet grape variety for the very first time last year, an indigenous variety with only 20 hectares planted worldwide. Of those 20 hectares, biodynamic estate Domaine Gringet in the Ayze region have 10 – half of the world’s plantings. This rare variety exudes plenty of freshness and vibrancy, as you might expect from its Alpine origins, combined with a citrus, herbal, floral and stone-fruit component to the wines. There is an underlying salinity as well as an attractive phenolic structure that presents itself in the wines.
Discovering some of the more off-the-beaten track regions and their wines is one of the great pleasures of this job. Equally thrilling is to witness the energy and passion of the people behind these wines. They aren’t just doing everything they can to make sure these often rare indigenous varieties survive, but are focused on creating fine wines from them so that we can all explore the best expressions of these lesser-known grapes.
>> Discover all our wines from Savoie and Switzerland
>> Read more about Swiss wines in this piece by expert Ellen Wallace from our archives
