Excerpt from the press release from the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse/Bern, Friday, October 28, 2022:
More than 550 guests attended the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse awards gala, which took place at the Kursaal in Bern. After the Cave du Rhodan - Mounir wines from Salgesch took the top spot on the winners’ podium in the “Other Single-Varietal Red Wines” category with their 2021 Syrah “
,” they also claimed the coveted title of “Swiss Winery of the Year”! The winery, now in its third generation under the management of the Mounir family, also won the Prix Vinissimo “Coup de Coeur Red” award with its 2021 Syrah.
Excerpt from the Cave du Rhodan Newsletter, August 2022:
Just like the movies, great wines create dreams. This is also true of the wines of Valais, which offer us something extraordinary, rare, and beautiful. Every wine has a soul, a story. The story of Syrah began 100 years ago.
Dr. José Vouillamoz, a grape variety researcher, takes you on an in-depth journey into the secrets of Syrah:
"The Syrah grape variety originates from Isère in France and was created from a cross between the Dureza variety from the Ardèche department and the Mondeuse Blanche variety from Savoy. The name is derived from the Latin ‘serus’ (late) and refers to the vine’s late ripening. In France, Syrah is used to produce the famous Côte Rôtie and Hermitage wines. In Valais, these grapes are used to produce some of the country’s finest wines. Contrary to popular belief, the Syrah grape was not introduced to Valais in 1926, but actually as early as 1921, when the renowned agricultural engineer Dr. Henry Wuilloud brought the grape variety to the cantonal winery in Leytron, where he served as technical director. His records indicate that in 1921 he visited Jaboulet-Vercherre in Tain in the Rhône Valley, where the Syrah vine made a deep impression on him. He must have brought a few cuttings back to Valais, as he later wrote that Syrah in Leytron reached 101° Oechsle in 1925 and 85° in 1926. Since the vine produces grapes no earlier than its third year, it can be assumed that Dr. Wuilloud introduced the Syrah grape in 1921 and planted it at the Grand Brûlé vineyard in the spring of 1922.
"So this year, 2022, we can celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Syrah grape variety in Valais in style!" – Dr. José Vouillamoz, grape variety researcher
Wine expert Marie Linder describes Syrah from a completely different perspective and makes us smile:
Syrah—a grape variety from the Côtes du Rhône that is adaptable and thrives in dry climates. A straightforward, charismatic wine that proudly embodies both feminine and masculine qualities. A bouquet with notes of pepper and a well-balanced tannic structure that lends it understated elegance; aromas of the South—a stroll through the heath, rosemary, bay leaves, and the song of cicadas.
If this wine were...
an animal—a fast horse
one color—black, reddish-purple
A kind of music—raw rock
A Landscape – A Road in America
A plant – pepper
an element—the water of a river
A mythical figure – Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke in *Rumble Fish* / Nox, Goddess of the Night
a material—iron, concrete, leather
A man—a poorly shaved cowboy
A word (or saying) – an unbridled zest for life
How about ...
his/her laugh – sexy
his/her crying—disillusioned
his/her calling—to follow him/her
What would be his/her weaknesses?
A little bit of macho flair, a little bit of a show-off,
gullible, colorblind,
runs red lights.
What would be his/her strengths?
Light on her feet, lively, seemingly self-assured,
charming, sensual, raw.
Marie Linder
