Swiss wine books — 2 reviews, upcoming
How many more wine shopping lists do we need, I tend to think when another book “Best of…” or “Top 100” walks in the door. I also question the over-rated and endless wine notes (see it! smell it! taste it!) that are a staple of wine criticism. As a way to help non-professionals know what wine to buy or order, they fall short, since too many people simply don’t understand the basics of wine-tasting. I recently read a much-praised Instagram post about a Syrah wine, written by an social media influencer. By line 10 the number of adjectives began to look very silly, but it continued, with every possible fruit, vegetable, rock, and more in that glass. It’s enough to make me long for water.
111 vins suisses à ne pas manquer by Pierre Thomas
So I received Pierre Thomas’s new guide to Swiss wines with some apprehension. To my relief and pleasure, it really does offer useful information. He is the author of 111 vins suisses à ne pas manquer, released in October and November 2021 by Dutch publisher emons : (French and German, 250 pages, online sellers CHF18-26.90, ISBN 978–3–7408–1291–1). His knowledge base and technical understanding of wine, especially Swiss wine, make his selection worth perusing. The book is well designed, with good background information on the wineries. Toby Fassbinder’s photos add elegance.
The timing is just right because a young generation of wine producers is now coming up strongly. Many but not all of those selected are taking charge of family wineries. Thomas has made a point of seeking these out as well as listing wineries that focus on environmentally-friendly vineyard and cellar work. The country has also seen a leap in the number of women managing wineries and they are present, as are many of the small artisanal wineries that make this a country rich in interesting and well-made wines.
In short, all the changes that are part of what makes Switzerland one of Europe’s most interesting wine producing areas are represented by this cross-section where the author has also made sure you’ll meet many grape varieties and wines from every region.
Vignerons, vins et et cuisine by Gabriel Tinguely
I have a handful of wine books that I treasure because of the creativity behind them. They are physically beautiful and, most importantly, they place wine in its proper place. They don’t talk about an alcoholic beverage so much as a liquid thread woven through our wider culture and a faithful companion of the foods we love.
Gabriel Tinguely’s second volume of Vignerons, vins et cuisine is one of these, as is the first volume published in 2018. The 44 portraits here of people who worked closely with him to produce this one-of-a-kind book are rich in information about the vignerons and how they work with chefs, with essays on a range of wine-related subjects and recipes for each winemaker as well as brief and succinct descriptions of the wines. Remo Ubizio’s black and white portrait photos are exquisite.
The book was published in November 2021 by weindlandschweiz, Tinguely’s company, whose web site has excellent information about Swiss wines. It’s not surprising, given the dense material there, that his collection of wine producers includes many who are not as well known to the public as they deserve to be. This feels like Tinguely’s private collection and readers are lucky to share it. 288 pages. The book is CHF75 (CHF130 for both volumes). Order it by email: livre@weinlandschweiz.ch
Next! Wine Hiking Switzerland by Ellen Wallace
That’s right, the next book out in English (and French and German) about Swiss wine is mine, publication date 6 September for Wine Hiking Switzerland (Helvetiq, CHF29). Join me to “explore the landscape of Swiss wines” — details to follow!
