“Do they make wine in Switzerland?” I’ve heard this question more than a few times over the years, and considering Switzerland’s exposure outside its own borders, a fair question it is. The Swiss drink a LOT of wine, and are fiercely proud of their native production which is quite low, so not much Swiss wine gets out of the country. And, because the production costs in Switzerland are so ridiculously high, even when one does come across them.

But as far as native white grape varieties are concerned, Chasselas is probably the leader of the pack. The grape’s origins are still mysterious and contoversial. There seems to be a strong notion that the grapes has its origins in the Middle East (Egypt in particular) while others support its origins in the eponymously named town in the Macon region of southern Burgundy, though strangely, there is not a trace of it left there. Not surprisingly the Swiss claim it as their own. The variety is surprisingly well diffused outside of its “sweet spot” in the southwestern Valais, Vaud, and Neuchatel regions of Switzerland where it is known as Fendant. The grape is found in neighboring France but it is roundly reviled there as a wine grape, but is fairly well-esteemed as a table grape, though a bit of it goes into Alsatian Edelzwickers (the traditional Alsatian “kitchen sink” field blends) with a bit of being grown in Savoie and parts of the Loire valley, though in none of these areas is the grape considered to be either very important or very noble. In Italy, the variety makes some cameo appearances here and there under the name of Marzemina Bianca and in Germany under the moniker Gudetel , as well as in patches in Romania, Hungary, and Austria, but again, the variety is considered a minor player at best in all of these regions.

In the vineyard, the variety tends to bud rather too early which can be a real problem in particularly cold Springs. Additionally, the vine is very vigorous (lots of foliage), so to fully ripen Chasselas in sometimes chilly Switerland requires lots of leaf-thinning to get some sunlight onto the bunches. These two hurdles alone surely contribute to the variety’s less than stellar reputation in the minor growing zones listed above.

In the glass, Chasselas often shows flavors/aromas of sundry citrus peels, yellow fruits, and a certain rich spiciness. It typically sports a beautiful golden color.

In my opinion, Chasselas takes a little more stick than it deserves, but in all fairness, the grape only reaches better-than-average quality in the regions of Valais, Vaud, and Neuchatel. Not surprisngly, the wine pairs very nicely with local cheeses like Raclette and Gruyere, as well as all manner of poultry dishes, especially braises and stews.

Below are links to the two Chasselas wines we now carry. Now these are definitely not the sort of wines that will change your life, and they are also not the world’s best values, but they are always well made, and are very evocative of their Geneva lakeside home. As always, if anyone picks one of these up, please post you tasting notes here as commentary…

TOM CIOCCO

Get Swissy wid it!

Encore!