A hangout for artists and intelligentsia; wine, wisdom, and song has flowed in the ancient oak-paneled Oepfelchammer on the Rindermarkt in Zürich for two hundred years. Nicknamed the “Oeli”, it’s the oldest unchanged wine tavern (Weinstube) in Zürich.

Wine is like jazz, it can have finesse, variety, nuance, and surprise. terroir is one the players in the band. What is terroir , and should we care? The answer is yes, no, and it’s a matter of opinion. Many opinions. Just like jazz.

First we need to agree what terroir is. I say agree - and not define, because terroir is one of those concepts that’s hard to nail down because it can have an almost philosophical quality. The word terroir is French for soil. Simple enough, but the concept “terroir ” in the context of wine encompasses numerous factors that influence the taste of wine.

Botrytis cinerea, or nobel rot, is a gray mold that infects a variety of plants, including wine grapes here in Switzerland. When it forms on grapes it’s called Botrytis Bunch Rot. In contrast to its unpleasant appearance, its effect on wine grapes can be quite pleasant. In short, the Botrytis cinerea fungus pierces grape skins causing dehydration, which concentrates the sugar in the remaining juice. The resulting sweet wine can be exquisite.

It’s rare to describe a museum as “welcoming”, but the Viticulture Museum is welcoming. Located on the peninsula Au (near Wädenswil) on Lake Zürich, the Viticulture Museum is both a museum and a focal point for people interested in Swiss wine and wine making. It offers both a historical perspective as well as addressing changes confronting Swiss winemakers today. On the day I visited they held a demonstration of barrel making, which is an endangered craft: there are currently three barrel makers in Switzerland and only one apprentice.