Wine Discovery

We have come to expect a great deal from our two knowledgeable chairladies, and indeed also from their amiable partners, over the past two years of wine discovery. When Nancy and Philippa decided to step down at the end of the current ZIWA year, they certainly maintained the high standard of events with two tastings designed to tickle our palates: a South African lunch and wine event and, in complete contrast, a chance to sample locally brewed beer and English cheeses at the Rappi Beer factory.

First, twelve wine-lovers convened at the restaurant Mama Africa in the Technopark area of Zürich on a cool Friday afternoon. Most people enjoyed the South African cuisine at lunch, while others just showed up for the serious business, the wine tasting! We had the opportunity to taste two whites and four reds from the famous Stellenbosch wine region, introduced to us by Lucia. She talked about the Chenin Blanc grape being the most popular in that area and whose production is regulated. We dived in and tried a Sizanani 2006 Chenin Blanc single grape variety, followed by a Vin de Florence 2008 Vergelegen, a blend of Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Riesling grape types. There was some discussion amongst the group as to which of the two they preferred: the sharp, melony taste of the single grape or the spicier blended wine. I always tend to go for the first one I taste, which may not be very scientific.

Then it was onto the reds, all sourced from Kap Wines. First a Fleur du Cap 2007 Cabernet, with a smoky taste which would go well with red meat. Then we tried a Fort Simon 2007 Pinotage which had spent 14 months in the barrel and was pronounced 'interesting'. Then onto another red, this time from the Coastal Region, the Porcupine Ridge 2007 Merlot, which we found to be very smooth. Finally an organic wine, The Ladybird, a smooth blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes which was made in the European style, and which tasted of berries. Nancy was disappointed that the famous Chocolate Block wine that she and Philippa had tasted two years earlier was just too expensive to try on this occasion. That didn't prevent the group from enjoying a great afternoon's wine-tasting experience.

Second, and in this case last from our wine-loving hosts, was a visit to the locally famous Rappi Bier Factory in the beautiful lakeside town of Rapperswil. This time it was a beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon at the end of May, the lake was shimmering and several husbands had joined in the festive occasion. We were eleven in all and some of us stole a march on the others by arriving early for a pre-tasting. Mine host, Stephen Hart, showed off his three beers, the traditional Rappi Gold, the purist's drink Linth Maisbier and the extra-strong Blackbier, a stout type. Stephen came from New Zealand and brought ten years of brewing experience to the popular venue. He makes local beer in the English style, making use of the excellent ground-filtered Swiss water supply. The maize comes from Linth to make the Belgian-style Maisbier, and the stout has won awards for the brewery.

We had a quick tour of the rather small brewery, when our host explained the top fermentation method and showed us the malted barley from Bavaria that goes into his brews. We learnt a lot about the hops plants which are used to give the bitter taste and the yeasts which convert the sugar into alcohol. He recommended the Rappi beer to drink with strong cheddars, the white beer which has a citrus taste, and the stout which complements less ripe cheeses.

Following that science lesson, we heard from an old friend, Michael Jones who runs the British Cheese Centre in Flums. He gave us a eulogy to English cheeses, saying that over 900 different cheeses are made in the UK, more than in Switzerland, and that we should buy local cheeses in preference to supermarket offerings because the former reflect the local terroir and are much tastier. The he presented us with a fine spread of a ploughman's lunch featuring five of his favourites – the red-waxed Godminster cheddar, another cheddar from Mull which was Michael's personal favourite, a Cheshire with an intriguing apricot colour, a Wensleydale which was mild and moist, and a Shropshire Blue which was in fact orange and blue. To complement the cheeses, we enjoyed a platter of cucumber, tomatoes, coleslaw and a yummy beetroot chutney, a variation on the traditional pub Ploughman's. It was all totally delicious and a very convivial afternoon was had by all.

Nancy and Philippa are stepping down to let two new chairladies take a turn, and stepping up we are happy to welcome back Evi Hock, partnering fellow German and wine group veteran Marianne Shoman. As their first joint event, they will be introducing us to some of the wines of their home country, Germany, possibly a first for the Wine Discovery group. Keep an eye on ZIWA News and the online calendar to find out more.

Thanks once again to Nancy and Ed Callaway and to Philippa and Hans Walter Keller for all their insights, experience, contacts and energy over the past two years.


See these links for more information:
-  www.mamaafrica.ch
-  www.bierfactory.ch
-  www.britishcheesecentre.ch

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