Liquid Love Letter: Alpine Wines

Cathy

You may have seen the news headlines this past week about the snow (!!) that has fallen unseasonably in the mountains of Switzerland and Austria, so much so that ski resorts have opened some lifts, and floods at lower elevations are a real possibility and danger.

Yikes.

In recognition of this anomaly, Matthew and I wanted to hover this week over this particular “Alpine” part of the world of wine. Austrian wine is well recognized — think Grüner Veltliner, Burgenland and the historic, urban vineyards of Vienna. Swiss wines, on the other hand, are a little more elusive to a US audience.

There’s a good reason for that, namely that Swiss people consume the vast majority of wines that are grown and produced within their country. They are thirsty! And wine is well integrated into their daily lives, particularly local wines that are easily accessible. The other good reason is that there is not a tremendous volume of wine produced in Switzerland.

What surfaces right to the top of my experience and memory of Swiss wines, nonetheless, is a grape called Chasselas, or Chasselas Blanc. Generally, wines from this grape are dry and fruity and, to my palate, surprisingly full-bodied. I say surprisingly, because the Alpine terroir of Swiss wines would typically evoke cool and lean.

This is where I’d encourage you to get super curious, and keep asking why — in today’s case, about Alpine wines but the idea is applicable more generally too. Why is there a discrepancy between what I imagine a wine region is like [mountainous, cold weather, short growing season] and how the wine tastes? Why are so many wines produced in this region made from this particular grape [Chasselas] in this particular style? Why do I need to try so hard to find this kind of wine or wines from this place?

Keep a few of these questions in mind as Matthew dives deeper into Alpine wines below.

Matthew

The Alps are a magical beacon across Europe. Their backdrop can be felt and seen throughout many countries as a symbol of adventure, fertility, escape, and majesty. Their imprint on wine is no different. The European Alps, specifically, play a large role in how many wines from across known regions of the world are able to produce such world-class wine.

Elevation. Weather regulation. Water source. Energy.

They're more than just a pretty face to look at. The Alps provide much of what fuels many wine regions across France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia.

The Alpine effect cannot be understated.

Freshness, vivacity, energy.

Grapes, historically, have always chosen stunning places to take root and grow well. Like me, they prefer a pretty view. The Alps just provide. They give diurnal shifts in temperature to ensure warm days turn to cold nights. The run off from snowpack helps keep natural aquifers with plenty of high quality H ₂ O for which vine root structures search deep into the subsoils.

To truly under Alpine wines, here are some recommendations of regions. Look to the Savoie & Jura regions from France, Valais region from Switzerland, Valle d'Aosta & Trentino-Alto Adige regions from Italy, and the often overlooked Carinthia region from Austria.

High acid whites with personality and drive, sparkling wines that wake you up, fresh lighter bodied reds that are crushable with a chill on and make your palate ready for another sip.

These are a few of the reasons why Alpine wines continue to dazzle us.