Alpine wine and cheese tasting at the Sampler in London

By Simon Hardy DipWSET

The co-owner of The Sampler Wine, Dawn Mannis, is a self-confessed fan of all things Alpine. To celebrate her passion for the wine and food of the Alps, she hosted a tasting dedicated to Alpine wines and cheeses. The sold-out event was a clear indication of the growing interest in the Alpine wine-producing region covering Switzerland, France, Italy and Austria with its diverse terroirs and numerous local grape varieties.

There was a selection of eight wines, of which one sparkling, three white, one orange and three red. Also, all the wines were paired with Alpine cheeses. The two wines from Switzerland showcased the country’s leading white variety Chasselas from the Vaud region and a popular international variety Syrah from the Valais. The Chasselas was paired with a delicious Vacherin Mont d’Or and the Syrah accompanied a nice Beaufort.

Simon Hardy, who has helped build the Swiss list at The Sampler, was in attendance and was invited by Dawn to introduce the regions, wines and producers representing Switzerland in the line-up, as well as answer the many questions from the audience.

Right at the end of the event, Dawn conducted a quick straw poll to discover everyone’s preferences on the night. It was striking to note that the most preferred white was the single-vineyard biodynamic Chasselas from Raymond Paccot at Domaine La Colombe in Féchy. What’s more, the favourite red was revealed to be the reserve Syrah from Robert Taramarcaz at Domaine des Muses in Sierre.

The Swiss wines presented :

White

• Domaine La Colombe - Brez 2021

Red

• Domaine des Muses – Syrah Réserve 2019