The Surprising Wines of Switzerland
By John C. Sloan.
Bergli Books, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland.
259 pages. ISBN 3-9520002-6-4.
Reviewed by: Karl Jauch, ACA board member. He helps take care of his family's vineyards near Geneva.
The information about the different wines in Mr. Sloan's book is already well worth the purchase price. But he doesn't stop there. Not only does he let us know about the different vineyards and vintners in each of the wine-producing cantons, but he also supplies us with the technical information to enable us to understand how grapes are cultivated and wines made in the Swiss context.
Mr. Sloan is a Canadian diplomat who developed an interest in wine during his studies in California. Later, while in London, he obtained his Higher Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. He maintained his interest in wines after joining the Canadian Foreign Service and throughout subsequent postings in Tokyo, Beijing and Geneva. This has allowed him to thoroughly research his subject. Backing up his gustative opinions is a vast store of statistics on wine production, imports and exports and the relevance to the Swiss economy. In addition to specific information about each region and many individual caves, Mr. Sloan explains such important questions as planting and pruning methods, vineyard care, mechanical harvesting, sugar and alcohol content, fermentation methods, etc., etc. He rationally explains the momentous events of the last few years which have caused such an upheaval in the growing and commercial practices lost in the depths of time of Swiss history and tradition.
The only nit-picking by this reviewer would perhaps be the fact that the two main Swiss agricultural research stations Changins and Wädenswil are only mentioned in passing. The important role they have played over the years in biological research, definition of standards and the education of several generations of growers, cellar masters and oenologists is hardly mentioned.
Other than that, this is a fine book, well worth reading both for general knowledge and specific information about the different wines of Switzerland. Color photographs, maps and vintage charts are nice supplements to this book.