Wineries

Daniel Marugg received us in his cellar, located in the small town of Fläsch in an area called "Bovel". The man exudes a calm and reassuring serenity. Deeply convinced by the regions high potential for great wines, he summarizes "If you have the will and the talent, anyone can produce great wines in the Graubünden"... 

Irene Grünenfelder grew up in the Albula region (Graubünden), she has been a teacher in Arosa and a journalist in Geneva before becoming a self-taught and passionate winemaker. It was during a trip to Burgundy and a visit to Lignier Hubert, owner of Clos de la Roche Morey St. Denis in Côte de Nuits, that she became passionate about the Pinot Noir.

Donatsch is a "success story" particularly the last two generations. In the early seventies, Johann, Martin's father, was at the Romanée Conti Domain in Burgundy as a trainee. When he returned to the Graubünden he had plenty of new ideas and a French oak barrel, which at the time was very uncommon in Switzerland. He also brought with him Chardonnay grapes, which he was the first to plant in the region. At the time the grape was unauthorized by the local authorities but today things have changed and it produces remarkable wines.

Martin Hubacher is undoubtedly the most famous winemaker of the region. He spend a generous time with us at his winery in Twann. A conversation marked by its frankness and a rare honesty, along with humor and gravity. The beginning of Martin’s life at the winery was hard. He had just completed his training in Changins (Swiss wine school), when he had to take over the estate after the unexpected death of his father, a man still in his young age. A heavy burden and many responsibilities for a young man who was not quite prepared yet for the task.

As she takes over the family estate, Sabine Steiner, has reached a crossroad. She holds her fate well in her hands and talks about the future of her 15 acres (6 hecateres) estate and of her fiancé, Andreas, also winemaker in the region. A "fusion" or close cooperation between the estates is being considered. On the Schernelz estate, the team is solid and Marco Menke, the oenologist and wine maker will soon be seconded by a new head of culture which will in turn help move from integarted production to a more organic approach. Biodynamic is already being tested on the estate. Speaking of working in the vineyard, Sabine admits that she could not do without it today, although it was hard for her when she was younger. Nevertheless certain works are hard for a woman.

Adrian Klötzli hosted us with warmth and a little shyness in his small estate near the Twannbach (Twann creek). This young man is a typical representative of the Swiss plurality. Formed both at Changins and Wädenswil schools for viticulture, he trained among professionals from Zürich (including Urs Pircher) and the Graubünden, he worked in the canton of Vaud (Domaine Conne) and Vully (with Jean-Daniel Chervet) before settling in his hometown of Twann, where he now manages two and a half hectares of vines.

Gerald Besse and his wife Patricia created a winery twenty-five years ago, out of a garage for the first vintage, which has become a reference in Valais. Since then so much work has been accomplished! The estate owns 18 hectares of terraced vineyards. These terraces require an incredible amount of work. We are talking about nearly 1,500 annual working hours for a hectare of terraced vineyards against 500 or 600 hours for a mechanized vineyard in the plain. Gerald Besse and his team have become experts to at dismantling and reassembling these dry stone walls as soon as they show a little belly, which is a sign of weakening. The work is usually performed late in the fall and in the heart of the winter.

The Estate of the « Cru de l’Hôpital (Hospital) » is the property of the bourgeoisie of the nearby city of Murten (a very pretty medieval town worth visiting). The winemaker, Christian Vessaz, trained as oenologist in the Changins school of viticulture in western Switzerland. He is the technical director since he took office in 2002 after his graduation. Today, the “Cru de l’Hôpital” is the region’s leader for its wine quality, and not just for Vully but for the entire three lakes region (Murten, Neuchâtel and Biel) .