Swiss Wine Explained

(bright upbeat music)

<v ->Well, it’s a pleasure to be in the middle</v> of the Domaine Blaise Duboux, and hosted by a 17th generation wine maker and technical winemaker on top of that, with a technical wine making background. Yeah, on top of that. Masseur Blaise Duboux, have already participated in organization of (indistinct) as well and the vice president of (speaking in foreign language) UNESCO world heritage site. Okay, Well Blaise, Would you mind telling me a little bit about level itself? It’s an enormously beautiful location but why it earned its status of a world heritage site?

<v ->Anastacia to answer this question</v> is definitely because Lovell is a natural textural vineyard that have been made by hands of men and women’s, you know. That’s the idea. It’s a terroristic vignette. So nobody was able to just put the vineyards like that. They had to work a lot building walls to hang the soil then cultivate and of course taking care of that big walls we have. We know we have more than 400 kilometers of walls. Yes, making 10,000 small tosses of vineyard. So it’s incredible.

<v ->Indeed it’s incredible.</v> And especially, you know, when you take train when you take a highway, you see all of this beauty you see all the terraces with the different ages of the vines and it’s indeed impressive. It’s also impressive that it’s quiet hidden, it’s quiet secluded. Once you’re outside of Switzerland, it’s not like it’s the first thing that comes to your mind. Like wine is not the first thing that comes to your mind. It’s mostly chocolate and waters, right? And it’s a misconception a little bit. <v ->It’s so small in fact.</v> That’s probably the point.

Today’s age under actor of vineyards from, let’s say on the East lot of Lizanne to Moto. So it’s very small, but it’s nice. It’s a little niche of vineyards in fact. It’s something so cute because you can see the people working with their hands, walking in the vineyards. There’s no tractor, no big machine. So it’s credible. Yes, definitely. That’s probably the 90 things, which is makes that vineyard so exclusive in a way. <v ->Indeed, and we just discussed a couple of minutes earlier</v> before our recording, that there is another very important component that makes this vines and these vineyards are so special and so important, right?

And for that we need to introduce a term which is Auto-Tune or indigenous or native grape variety. If you don’t mind, can you comment a little bit for us about this accordant grape in fact. <v ->The Schussler?</v> <v ->Yes.</v> It’s a special vine, definitely from this area French side, Swiss side, we don’t know exactly but definitely in the area. Schussler is probably one of the oldest vine variety in the world. We know that, but from here that’s the very important point. So we are very lucky in fact

being a registered as a world, a UNESCO heritage and having a specific wine variety, which is the Chestnut. The Schussler is incredible because it’s a white grape.

Neutral on the way. Not aromatic, not like (speaking in foreign language) just to take an example. It’s definitely soil revelator. When we’re talking about Te Hua, that’s probably one will revelate Te Hua in a glass of wine. Because all the minerals in the soil will express something through the roots of the plant, charging the grape of a real more than perfume in a Romas structure. And that the yes. And you will get that in the wine. <v ->Do mind command in just a little bit</v> on Te Hua of level as well, like soil composition.

<v ->Yes, with pleasure Anesthesia.</v> We have, first of all we have to say that all the area has been made if I may say by the role of last year. Glasiers of the Rome erroding the area and we’re talking about thousands of thousands of years the last glaciation happened roughly 10, 15,000 years ago.

And last time that the glacier melt back in the Alps and let this place, the road filled up the Lake of Geneva (speaking in foreign language) in French, in this area, we prefer to say luckily more because that’s our word. Geneva it’s a small city over there, nothing to grow with this beauty. <v ->Yes.</v> <v ->And of course the wrong Gracier last year</v> led a very specific we call them Moraine lateral and frontal Moraine mixed them up by melting frosting, melting fostering in that time having so different spots. And sometime they just very close one to the other.

So we are very specific Te Hua in a very small area which is incredible in fact, that’s because of the wrong Glacier <v ->Indeed, and if I’m not mistaken,</v> even right now I can see that we have really a lot of sun and it’s due to the sun exposure, but also due to (indistinct), right? <v ->Of course.</v> <v ->Due to this large body of water,</v> which actually, you know exactly it’s a heater. <v ->It works like as heater or a clim</v> in the summer because as you know, a soil earth or water will warm up definitely differently than the other. I mean the water take more time.

So it’s always like giving a balance, in fact, and because of the slope, that’s the very important thing here. Having a terrosit vineyard, we always have some wind. You see the leaves are moving. That’s great. So we always have a little air that fresh the area very important for the quality of grape. As soon as you have a very warm place, like a Valley, a flat Valley. And for example I don’t know what we can talk about United States with the Napa Valley, for example, which is it? Yes, the end of the death Valley, in fact very warm, it’s not that easy to manage vineyards in such a place.

Here we always have some air and that’s going to be different. The sun moves from East to West. So we don’t have the sun flashing on the vineyards the whole day long. So that’s very important. But in fact, for example, in the desert on the very steep part of level, the sun would come in the summer around nine o’clock in the morning and then right up to the end of the day that’s amazing. And that’s something very specific for the maturity in fact of the grape. So that’s very special. So the Lake illness lobe having this big terraces we’re talking about those three signs of level.

So the sun, the real one, the walls taking the heat and giving it back during the night. And the Lake by reverberation cretins. So it’s incredible. In fact, this place is facing South Southwest let’s say with a norm flat surface the Lake just in front of us, as you can see, it’s just amazing to have so many special condition. That’s probably why this area has been habited since a long time at the neolithic already. <v ->Indeed yes.</v> And that’s probably why it has been registered as UNESCO world heritage site. <v ->Probably.</v> <v ->And it’s no doubt worth it.</v> Every single, you know, every single meter of it’s worth it.

Do you mind if we try a little bit of Chestler in order to understand? <v ->We are sitting now in the (speaking in foreign language)</v> 16 hectares just from the Lake to the village of EPIs. Used to be on the commune limitation. Very specific. It’s a very special Te Hua. It’s coming from a landslide in the middle ages. We can see on the top of (mumbles) if you stand up and you look on the top, you will see a cliff. That’s where the lands that take place. <v ->Okay.</v> <v ->All that earth come down and stop on the calamine area.</v> So we have a double tough soil in fact, giving a very special taste of the wine.

It’s a very heavy site with a lot of clay in fact. Over from 29 to 32% of clay, which is a lot of clay in fact four of our environment. When you make wine, you need clay because it’s part of the reserve of water in a soil. Sand is not able to store the water, but clay, Yes . So we are very lucky to have this little (foreign language) just in front of us, in fact, and facing the Lake. <v ->Indeed.</v> <v ->So this is the calema going through 19.</v> We bottled the wine exactly the 7th of May.

I’m working on the biodynamie, I’m registered as an organic farmer and we respect special variation of the atmosphere looking at the position of the moon to work in the vineyard, which is quite special. <v ->So you are in the process</v> of being certified by a dynamic as well. <v ->Yes, I’m beginning.</v> <v ->Okay.</v> <v ->I’m organic since 2007.</v> <v ->Okay.</v> And now, I’m looking forward to to go through biodynamie step-by-step taking time. <v ->Indeed.</v> <v ->(speaking in foreign language)</v> <v ->So it’s a baby, as we say.</v> It’s a very young wine.

<v ->But it’s quite aromatic for a non-aromatic</v> grape variety you know, it’s a lot of pears and a lot of Kings and this kind of…… <v ->We definitely on the white flowers sides,</v> it’s very delicate. It’s not anermomus fruits or something like that. No, it’s rather on white flowers. I’d like to say that because everybody will understand. As soon as they smell the wine we have this incredible delicate aromas coming.

One very specific thing with the Shasla. We are definitely able to age the shasla which is incredible. <v ->In fact, that was my next leaning.</v> In fact, with regards to the questions because just recently I had a chance to try a couple of Chestler from 80s, and I was amazed. I was so surprised how it develops and you know how it acquires the depth. It doesn’t have any off flavors. So is it right to say? <v ->I’d like to maybe to summarize a little bit the idea</v> of how the Shasla is able to age. I like to say that finally, Chastler when you bottle the wine, say the wine is born in a way.

And every year the wine we’d get some more close. You know, you get dressed with more sophistical things. And at the end. After 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years the wine is incredibly structured. So aromas, more fruity aromas like quince. That’s incredible buttery nose on also some sofrito taste.

And the structure is the same because in fact the Chastler is not very acidic. <v ->No, that’s true.</v> <v ->But mineral acidity may have a certain level</v> on the creation of a great, we were talking Tatric acid

I’m not drawing, I can tell you. <v ->I can tell it to.</v> <v ->Yes, so it’s incredible.</v> It’s a real potential. Of course we are not sure that everybody would like it because it’s become in a way in another wine, the TATRIC acid that you have that’s express acidity in wine in Switzerland. That’s the way we measure acidity. In France, we’re talking about the sulphuric acid, which it gives us another idea. It’s a certain level. Acidity may change during aging the wine because you have precipitation, sedimentation in a way. And you can see those small crystals in the wine. Which is not sugar, as you know. But the mineral level will stay. It remains in the wine. It doesn’t change.

And that’s very important in fact. To understand how a wine can be aged with a mineral structure you are definitely have a capital to aged the wine. (speaking in foreign language), whatever those lonely variety which are sometimes not very loved because they’re so known all around the world but they are very specific and they will definitely give the opportunity of discovering what terroir is able to give to a wine. And the Chastler definitely is probably one of the best grape to understand and to learn. Because as soon as you change the Chastler from a soil to another, you have another wine. <v ->Indeed, so it’s like a translator of Te Hua?</v> <v ->Translator, that’s the word.</v> Perfect Anaestacian.

<v ->Thank you.</v> Well cheers. <v ->Cheers.</v>

When the one is young, like very fresh crispy that’s the young Chestler. And then the structure, I will say that the Kalama should be kept at least for one year. My grandfather used to say, you can drink the Kalama and talk about it, but don’t give any grades. You have to wait till next Christmas 2019, 2020 you can save the Kalama 19, is a good year or not. That’s what the idea. And following this percept, I think it was right. It needs a little time to set up, you know it’s, all wine finally need a little time. Wine is not made to be drunk like, you know, in a way, as soon as you produce your drink.

Maybe that’s the industrial way where we are going today, but definitely you need time to make wine and you need time to taste wine too. It’s a real pleasure. As you know, you feel the pleasure when you have the pleasure, when you can not for the pleasure anymore you don’t have any pleasure anymore. With wine to. <v ->Absolutely, thank you very much.</v> (upbeat music)

It’s a beautiful place over here. It’s just a pleasure simply to observe and contemplate in here. And I think we couldn’t find a better place to speak about traditions. And talking about traditions (speaking in foreign language). We have to mention that (speaking in foreign language). <v ->Of course.</v> <v ->Yes, I’m happy that I found someone</v> who has actually participated in the (speaking in foreign language), as well as in the organization of fed in your home. And I would be happy for myself and for our listeners to hear more about this tradition and these celebration of the vine VT culture, community and a sweet story as well.

<v ->Oh yes, definitely it’s part of it.</v> I would like to, first of all, I would like to say that fit David, your home is the most a lifestyle because this is like a clock. And you know, we know in Switzerland, when we talk about a clock, we know what we’re talking about. And of course, every generation, every 20 years let’s say more than anything else. Five times in a century Lafayette will happen. It’s a recognizing the work of the vendors the veterinaries, in fact, in the vineyards working for owners and we Chrome the best of them. We can see in the vineyard, maybe with a camera you can shoot the white timber.

You can say there, you see over there, it’s a white one. This is a parcel of vineyard controlled by the brotherhood of a (speaking in foreign language).

So that’s something very special. And this is, we’re talking about 600 years of history. Something very as its roots in Lovell and Shabbat which is the other very important vineyard here close to the (indistinct). And of course this is a very important time that happened last year, 2019

the city of Veeva is open to an incredible wine festival. We are not talking about the wine we drink. We are talking about the culture, working with the plant, taking care of the plant, growing the best Vitner of a generation. <v ->So in a nutshell,</v> it’s also a succession of beautiful shows that demonstrate the work in the vignettes, but also they represent various parts of the ecosystem like birds or like grapes, in fact. <v ->You’re right.</v> It’s based on respect.

In fact, the respect is very important in our work because we take of the land, the idea, as you know we are not owning the land, we’re just here for a moment and we will try to give this land to the next generation. So definitely the respect is very important in the show and showing the people that it’s not only taking care of the plant of the soil, but all of nature. <v ->Indeed, well, thank you so much for introducing us</v> into this concept and into the celebration.

It’s extremely important and grand, but once we talk about celebrations and once we talk about taste in wine we also should mention probably (speaking in foreign language) This is something which happens on a little bit more regular basis or on a little bit more frequent basis rather than regular which is why it’s more accessible to a large amount of wine lovers who are craving to research and learn a little bit more about viz sweet Feeney culture and viticulture in general. <v ->Yeah, (speaking in foreign language)</v> it’s not a very old event that happened four years ago in all the state of volt, the sailors are open.

You can travel having a transportation ticket train, buses, whatever and you will find also small organization of transportation. In for example, Lavu, you can find easily, you have a map you receive a map and you can go around the villages and find the VINs is open to receive you and taste their wine. It’s a great time, I think. And you will be in contact with the one who is making the wine. That’s very good. <v ->Indeed, it’s extremely important to go to the vine maker</v> and to visit the vine maker, to see the vineyards if it’s possible, or at least the layout of the vineyards and Lovell is one of the most, you know picturesque locations for this purpose.

<v ->Absolutely.</v> And the people are waiting for you because of course it’s a incredible organization in the state of Vou. But the people that are ready to take time with you and that’s very important. Again we’ve been talking about that Anaestacia. Wine needs time. <v ->Indeed.</v> <v ->Exactly.</v> <v ->As everything good in this world, it needs time</v> for appreciation and for making it. <v ->Exactly.</v> <v ->Well, thanks a lot.</v> It’s been really a pleasure. <v ->A pleasure.</v> Thank you Anaestacia (upbeat music)