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| Arrival in the rain |
Höcklistein vineyard is the local winery of ZIWA member and wine lover Iris Oba. On Thursday 5 September 2019, she arranged a splendid afternoon learning about Swiss grape types and then trying the wines. In spite of the rain, which put paid to the planned vineyard tour, the group of enthusiasts and some of their partners were treated to a taste of four well-known wine types together with sumptuous platters of food. It was a great success!
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| Stefan our wine grower and guide |
Over 20 of the ZIWA Winelovers group members, some of whom brought their partners along, met at the station in Kempraten, near Rapperswil. The rain wasn’t able to dampen our enthusiasm for long, as we were shown quickly inside the winery for an informative talk from Stefan Hodler, the master wine grower at Höcklistein.
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| A talk in the wine shop before the serious tasting |
We were greeted with a glass of the Vom Fluss und See assemblage, an excellent dry white. The vineyard comprises 10 hectares of vines growing six different grape types including: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Johanniter, red Merlot and Pinot Noir. The vineyard has changed the alignment of the vines in recent years to maximise their exposure to sun during the ripening season. Although the wines are not bio, pesticide sprays are avoided for some considerable time before harvest. All the grapes are picked by hand, and the vineyard takes on extra help during the picking season.
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| Plenty of food to help the wine go down |
1.
Ufergold – a sparkling wine from the Gold
Coast area of the Zurichsee. We learned that the Johanniter grape was specially
bred in the 1960s as a fungus-resistant variety. The wine is made using the
champagne method and stored after the second fermentation for one year. It
tasted fruity.
2.
Räuschling – the local grape and the
crown of the region. The white grape ages to orange and brown. This wine is not
kept in the barrel. It’s a popular local wine.
3.
Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Höcklistein – a
local grape with elderflower notes, fresh and fruity. It was slightly sweet,
and goes well with spicy food. My favourite!
4.
Pinot Noir 2014 – a 5 year old red, kept
in the barrel. It is good to decant or enjoy straight from the bottle. Notes of
cherries, herbs. Can keep for 3-4 years in the bottle.
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| Our Aussie guests were impressed! |
I brought home a Sauvignon Blanc and a Pinot Noir – looking forward to trying them soon! Thanks to Iris for arranging it, and to wine group chairladies Christine Federspiel and Christine Gilbert. Our next wine event will be on 2 November 2019.
You can read more about the winery at this link: https://schmidheiny.ch/die-weingueter/weingut-hoecklistein/
Julia Newton, 10 September 2019
