On an unintended train journey recently from Zürich to Genève we came across a magnificent sight of snow covered vineyards on the banks of Lake Geneva. Vines that stretched across this south facing steep slope were planted in every garden and up to the front door of houses in some cases. The apparent cooperation amongst the community to facilitate the vine was impressive. We were in the Vaud wine region of south West Switzerland. The vines here straddled the Lake as we meandered our way towards the very Frenchy town of Lausanne. Vines can grow at altitudes of up to 350m which is quite high in comparison to other wine regions of Europe. The Vaud is the second most important wine region behind Valais, and two thirds of wine here is white. The main white grape variety is Chasselas which produces quite structured wines, resembling a Germanic style. The area we were passing through, La Côte has an even mix of red and white. The reds are Burgundy in variety, Gamay and Pinot Noir. If the wines taste as good as they look they are well worth checking out if you can.
A red worth checking out with this week’s steak:
Château Mahon Laville Bordeaux Supérieur 2007: A low tannin wine will usually suffice with beef, but as its steak we can go with something a bit more tannic. This wine has a dark ruby red colour with purple/plum hues. The nose is plummy with aromas of ripe fruit. On the palate, the wine is soft and supple with noticeable tannins. The Cabernet Franc adds a touch of black pepper and spice and the wine has a lovely long finish - Great price for this quality. €14.99 at Florries.
No comments:
Post a Comment