A vigorous and adaptable vine from Burgundy, Chardonnay grows pretty much everywhere that wine is made. Although production is not so high in Switzerland, award-winning wines have come out of Geneva, Valais and Neuchâtel.
Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, 2008
No state support, no regional pre-selections, and no quotas, the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse competition is open to all Swiss wine producers, and reflects the eclectic range of Swiss wines. For the 2008 Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, 460 Swiss wine producers provided 1,860 wines for judging in 11 categories.This is a In a 20% increase over last year.
The competition, organized by Vinea and wine magazine Vinum, took place June 24-27 in Sierre, Valais. Adhering to international standards set by the Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) and the Union Internationale des Oenologues (UIOE), the 120 judges tasted, ranked and awarded the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals as well as honorable mentions.
Winners will be announced November 7, 2008 at the Swiss Wine Night in Zurich. The Grand Prix du Vin Suisse award-winning wines will be featured in the Vinum wine magazine and be highlighted in the 2009-2010 Swiss Wine Guide, which for the first time have an English edition.
The Wine Grapes of Switzerland
Chardonnay
Sauvignon blanc
One of the classic grapes of France, Sauvignon blanc is planted in most wine regions of the world. It produces a wide range of wine styles.
Auxerrois blanc
A clone of the prolific Pinot Noir, Auxerrois blanc is a close cousin of Pinot blanc. It comes from the county of Auxerrois, and is best known from Alsace.
Wine is sunlight, held together by water!
Galileo Gallilei
