Oenologist The People of Wine

A tasteful symbiosis of old and new
Here you have a mix of new and old: Tradition and modernity – tasteful in every way.
On the ground floor of the castle Bothmar, one of the most impressive and historic
buildings in the idyllic wine-growing village Malans, the winemaker Peter Wegelin used to create his wines until 2003.  At the well-preserved “Schlosstorkel” visitors still can admire the ancient wooden wine press during guided tours.
Today Peter Wegelin and his team vinify their wine directly in the vineyard in the pavilion-like modern building. The grapes are processed in the bright basement; the wine matures in the elegant barrique cellar and is tasted in the bright tasting room with an amazing view over the Rhine valley and the surrounding Alps. A small detail: Even Wegelin’s small dog fits exactly to the colors of tasteful interiors of the modern tasting room. Whether intended or not: whatever we … [Full Article]

Two sympathetic globetrotters
For years, Peter Hermann traveled through the world and developed the peace for his current profession as a winemaker. Some time after his return he found his wife Rosi in the region – she fell in love with the widely traveled man and the couple settled in Graubünden for good. The friendly family still enjoys traveling often. They followed her son Roman, who worked as a winemaker all over the world. Step-by-step he is now taking over the leadership of the winery. Wine was first pressed in their Torkel in 1982. Since then, production has increased incredibly and the original old barn has been replaced with a modern processing construction.  A walk through the 6.5 hectares comprised mostly of Pinot Noir vines and a visit of their hide-away Fläscherbad (which was used in medieval times as a bathhouse) is highly recommended.
Articles and photos by, Gian Carlo Casparis, … [Full Article]

The successful winemaking couple
Christian and Francisa Obrecht, operators of the Obrecht winery, met during their studies in oenology and biotechnology. Since 2006 the couple has run the Obrecht winery. They follow their passion with lots of success, as it turns out: the Gault Millau jury selected Francisca and Christian Obrecht into the select circle of the 100 best wineries of Switzerland in 2013. The Obrecht winery is full of southern charm.  The couple embraces the heritage and history of the winery, as it was one of the first wineries to make, bottle and sell wine in Graubünden. The winery is known for its Pinot Noirs with 35 to 50 year old Pinot Noir vines. Also in 2013 their Pinot Noir Sparkling Wine won a gold award at the International Wine Awards Mondial des Pinots in Sierre. While Francisca is Vice President of the wine industry association of Graubünden, Christian spends … [Full Article]

The pioneer in the oldest wine estate in Europe
The Salenegg Castle in Maienfeld is one of the largest wineries in the Bündner Herrschaft and Heidiland with 11.5 hectares. Weingut Schloss Salenegg is the oldest still existing winery in Europe. Since 1068 wines have been grown and vinified here. The site was founded by the Prior of the Monastery of Pfäfers in 950. For more then 500 years the castle is now run by the family von Gugelberg von Moos. Helene von Gugelberg now manages this amazing castle and its vineyard. She brings innovation into these medieval walls. Since 1652 there has been no changes made to the architecture, until 2011 when Helene invested several million dollars and extended the cellar and brought the production technology to the 21st century. With the production of more then 20 different delicate vinegars – considered more than unusual for wine makers – she showed … [Full Article]

The Pinot Noir World Champion 2010 and 2011
With its Pinot Noir “Passion” the five-generation Donatsch winery won the title of the “Champion du monde des producteurs de Pinot Noir” two years in a row for their Pinot Noir “Passion”. Furthermore, he is an ambassador for the rare, autochthonous white variety Completer which has been grown for 700 years in the Bündner Herrschaft. The fair wine Completer was formerly served in the Diocese of Chur after the evening prayers (end of the meal = lat. completarium ), but due to its high acidity it was nearly eliminated from most homes.  Donatsch helped to awaken the ancient variety from its slumber. With a late harvest between the end of October to the beginning of November this mineralic wine, gets some residual sugar which gives the high acidity an elegant and enormously complex finish. There is no surprise that in 2013 the Gault … [Full Article]