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Alpine WiNes
NEW HO RIZON S : TH E PURIT Y & B EAU TY OF Buyer Marcel Orford-Williams explores the romance and magic of the wines from Europe’s Alpine regions ‘Bacchus amat colles’, or ‘Bacchus loves the hills’, the Romans were fond of saying, alluding to the fact that the god of wine seemed to bless most readily those grapes that are grown in higher climes; well, hills don’t get much bigger than the Alps!
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lpine valleys, sculpted by glaciation, often provide the backdrop for some of Europe’s most remarkable and spectacular vineyards. Alpine wines – which we define as coming from grapes grown in Europe’s most extensive and impressive mountain range – can come from a number of countries with quite separate traditions and styles of winemaking. Though winemaking in these regions is as old as, well, the hills, it is fair to say that mass tourism has more recently had an influence on the success of these wines; an easy market encouraged a certain carelessness and a drop in quality resulted – there was certainly a time when the skiing fraternity was not always well served. Yet, these Alpine slopes of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia offer the talented winemaker wonderful opportunities to shine and make wines of true purity, individuality and distinction. Moreover, a climate with warmer, drier summers – which are a real threat to the future of the glaciers – means that grapes may be picked fully ripe, evident in more opulent vintages like 2020, 2019 and 2015 which have produced exceptional wines.
32 | SPRING 2021
Marcel Orford-Williams
The steep slopes of Domaine Blaise Duboux overlooking Lake Geneva
At The Wine Society, there is a trio of buyers seeking out Alpine wines, none of us exactly slalom champions, but all passionate about the unique wines of this mountainous region. Together we have curated a little showcase of a few of the best that can be found, starting with a sparkler from France’s newly created Crémant de Savoie appellation, which would make a perfect aperitif. Sarah Knowles MW has chipped in a characterful red from Italy’s Dolomites and a brilliant pinot blanc from the Alto Adige that is as good as pinot blanc can be. From Austria, Freddy Bulmer suggests a flavour-packed grüner veltliner from the Wachau and a smart white blend from the distinctly Alpine Republic of Slovenia. To round the selection up, I’m thrilled to offer a new vintage of jacquère from the talented Jean-François Quénard, appropriately entitled ‘Vers les Alpes’ (towards the Alps!). Some of the most scenic vineyards in the Alps are Swiss and I’ve included a delightfully fresh and herby fendant from the shores of Lake Geneva. These are fully versatile wines to be drunk with food but perfect too on their own. And yes, some may even go with fondue.
