Switzerland Flashcards
What is a state in Switzerland called?
How many?
Canton. There are 26 autonomous cantons of Switzerland each with their own official language.
What are the four nationals languages of Switzerland
French (western), German (Eastern), Italian (Southern), and Romansch (a Romance language spoken predominantly in the southeastern Swiss canton of Grisons (Graubünden); a descendant of the spoken Latin language)
What four countries border Switzerland
France (West)
Germany (North)
Austria (East)
Italy (South)
What four French-speaking cantons produce wine in western Switzerland?
Valais, Vaud, Geneva, and Neuchâtel “NEW-sha-tell”.
What Italian-speaking canton borders Italy’s Lombardy region and what grape do they focus on?
The canton of Ticino and they focus on Merlot. Best versions occasionally achieve Pomerol-like richness.
What is the most cultivated grape in Switzerland?
Chasselas, producing refined, mineral-driven wines.
What is Sylvaner known as in Switzerland?
Johannisberg
Name two indigenous white grapes of Switzerland.
Amine of Vétroz Petite Arvine (found more in Italy's Valle d'Aosta.)
What is the most important canton in Switzerland?
Valais
What is Johannisberg?
Synonym for Silvaner in Switzerland
What is Fendant?
Synonym for Chasselas in Switzerland.
What is Dôle?
A blend of Min 85% combined Pinot Noir and Gamay in Valais.
What is Salvagnin?
Light red blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay (possibly with some gamaret and garanoir), the first appellation created in switzerland in 1960. It accounts for about half of all wine produced in the canton of Vaud.
-Vaud’s answer to Valais’ Dôle; Min. 10% Pinot Noir, Min. 50% Gamay, Min. 20% Gamaret and/or Garanoir
Where would you find the production of Dole vs Salvagnin and what is the difference between the two?
Dole is a style found in the Valais
Salvagnin is a traditional appellation found in the Vaud
-Essentially the same thing but Salvagnin uses an older clone of Pinot Noir called Servagnin (“Salvagnin” for many years was a bastardized version of the Servagnin grape and eventually became the appellation based on Gamay and the Servagnin grape.)
Dôle:
Min. 85% combined Pinot Noir and Gamay, plus Garanoir, Gamaret, Ancellotta, Diolinoir, Carminoir, Merlot, Syrah
Salvagnin
Blend: Min. 10% Pinot Noir, Min. 50% Gamay, Min. 20% Gamaret and/or Garanoir
What is Valais’ most widely produced wines?
Fendant (Chasselas) and Dôle (a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay)
Where in Switzerland is Valais
South western Switzerland clustered along the bank of the Rhône River, establishing Valais as the river’s northernmost appellation
What is Vin des Glacier?
A maderized wine stored in high altitude soleras based on an old indigenous grape of Switzerland called Rèze. A little like Jura’s Vin Jaune.
What canton borders Jura on the north shores of Lake Geneva?
Vaud
What are the 6 regional AOC’s of Vaud
-Chablais AOC (easternmost; Chasselas reaches record ripeness)
-Lavaux AOC (stretch between Chablais and La Côte; vine terraces built by Cistercians became a World Heritage Site; contains both Grand Crus: Dézaley and Calamin)
-La Côte AOC (westernmost; less than spectacular vineyards travel in arch towards Geneva.)
North of Vaud on the banks of Lake Neuchâtel:
-Vully AOC
-Côtes de l’Orbe AOC
-Bonvillars AOC
What are the two grand crus of Vaud?
Dézaley and Calamin both in Lavaux
Dézaley-Limestone, smoky
Cgt
Calamin-Clay, flinty
*pairing “both are nectar with fried perch at a table beside the lake.”
What is a bisses? Pronounce like italian “bis”
Steep channels of mountain water, to irrigate vines built by Valais growers in the Middle Ages.
What is the principle grape in Geneva?
Gamay along with Chasselas and Pinot Noir
What is Chasselas known as locally in Vaud?
Dorin (more historically known as this)
-Vaud is in fact the birthplace of Chasselas
Name three synonyms for Chasselas in Switzerland
Fendant (Valais)
Dorin (Vaud)
Gutadel (small amount in Eastern Switzerland)
What are the 5 major wine producing cantons of Switzerland?
In order: Valais Vaud Geneva Ticino "ti-CHEE-no Neuchâtel "NEW-sha-tell"
What body of water is Vaud on?
What body of water is Valais on?
Vaud- Lake Geneva/Léman
Valais- Rhône River (vineyards most right bank)
What is Charte Grain Noble ConfidenCiel? Allowed Varieties: Minimum Vine Age: Minimum Must Weight: Minimum Aging:
A label seal of quality for traditional sweet wines in Valais, created in 1996.
Allowed Varieties: Ermitage (Marsanne), Petite Arvine, Amigne, Johannisberg (Silvaner), Malvoisie (Pinot Gris), Païen (Heida, Savagnin Blanc)
Minimum Vine Age: 15 years
Minimum Must Weight: 130° Oechsle (no chaptalization)
Minimum Aging: 12 months in wood
9 Grand Crus of Vaud AOC
Conthey
Varieties: Fendant, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cornalin, Gamay
Min. 8000 vines per hectare.
Chamson
Varieties: Johannisberg(Silvaner), Petite Arvine, Pinot Noir, Syrah
Fully
Varieties: Petite Arvine, Ermitage (Marsanne), Gamay, Syrah
Leytron
Varietes: Chasselas, Humagne Blanc, Humagne Rouge, Cornalin
Saillon
Varieties: Petite Arvine, Humagne Rouge, Cornalin, Syrah
Saint-Léonard
Varieties: Chasselas, Pinot Noir
Sierre
Varieties: Petit Arvine, Ermitage(Marsanne), Cornalin, Syrah
Valle de Sion
Varieties: Chasselas, Ermitage(Marsanne), Dole, Syrah
Pinot Noir and Gamay may not be bottled individually, and be labelled ‘Grand Cru’
Vétroz
Varieties: Chasselas, Gamay, Pinot Noir, Amigne
Pinot Noir and Gamay may be bottled individually, and as Dole to be labelled as ‘Grand Cru’
Chaptalization prohibited for white varietals
Min. 7,000 vines per hectare
Amigne de Vétroz Sweetness Indicators (required from the 2005 vintage forward):
One bee (Sèche/Trocken): 0-8 g/l residual sugar
Two bees (Légèrement Douce/Halb Süss): 9-25 g/l of residual sugar
Three bees (Douce/Süss): 25+ g/l of residual sugar
What do the bees indicate on a bottle of Vétroz?
Amigne de Vétroz Sweetness Indicators (required from the 2005 vintage forward): One bee (Sèche/Trocken): 0-8 g/l residual sugar Two bees (Légèrement Douce/Halb Süss): 9-25 g/l of residual sugar Three bees (Douce/Süss): 25+ g/l of residual sugar
What 2 climatic features make grape growing in Switzerland possible?
The country’s lakes and föhn “foon” (like “goon”), the warm autumn wind which warms up sizable portions of the south of the country enable full grape ripening to take place in many valleys and on lakesides.
And in the Valais in the south west, the upper Rhône Valley, sunshine is so dependable (an average of more than 2,000 hours a year, rising sometimes to more than 2,500 hours) that vineyards can be as high as 750 m/2,460 ft, and some, such as Visperterminen, reach 1,150 m above sea level. The Valais is sheltered by the alps and, like south east Switzerland, benefits particularly from the föhn, but it can be dry and irrigation with mountain water is sometimes necessary.
What is the main concern for Swiss winemakers?
Erosion
-slopes as steep as 90% in places, and, in some regions, rainfall make soil erosion the prime concern. Terraces are common in Switzerland’s steep vineyards, and cover crops are increasingly common.
What is the essential stylistic difference between Swiss winemaking vs German and Austria winemaking?
In Swiss wine acidity is seen as an evil rather than a virtue and malolactic conversion is routinely practised.
Where is the Gotthard Massif?
A mountain range in the Alps in Switzerland, located at the border of four cantons: Valais, Ticino, Uri and Graubünden. It is home to the first vineyards on two of the world’s great wine rivers, the Rhine and Rhone which both rise, remarkably close to one another, in the Gotthard Massif.
Does Switzerland produce more white grapes or red grapes?
Red grapes (58%). The Swiss drink twice as much red wine as white, and the late 1990s saw widespread conversion of what were largely white wine vineyards to red, notably Pinot Noir.
What is Pinot Noir also known as in Switzerland?
Blauburgunder or Clevener.
What grapes are focused in Neuchâtel?
Pinot Noir, grown on the south-facing slopes above Lake Neuchâtel.
- Oeil-de-Perdrix is the famous rose version
- also produce a delicate Chasselas, often enlivened by slight spritz; some producers relase an unfiltered Chasselas, a welcome variation on the usual recipe, on the third Wednesday in January.
What is Savagnin known as in Switzerland? (2)
Heida and Païen
Visperterminen in the Valais is home to some of the highest vineyards in Europe, where Heida is made into table and dessert wines and achieves splendid density and richness.
Biggest cooperative in Valais?
Provins. Makes about 1/5 of all Valais’ grapes.
What is Humagne Rouge?
Cornalin (progeny of Rouge du Pays); indigenous variety from Valle d’Aosta, but more widespread in Switzerland.
What “Premier Grands Cru” in Vaud?
What grapes are used?
Premier Grand Cru status in Vaud is awarded to individual wines based on Chasselas, Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot
