I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like to bring
home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in
what I can buy at the local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll buy
some Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions. Looking for
inexpensive to moderate price range.

Buy chocolate and forget the wine. Or buy French and German wines.

I think you'll agree after you taste a few local wines, I'm sorry to
say.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

Furious Shepherd wrote:
> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like to bring
> home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in
> what I can buy at the local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll buy
> some Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions. Looking for
> inexpensive to moderate price range.
>
>
there are good Swiss wines, but you will pay dearly for even the limited
quality. In run I agree with Brain, French or German depending on your
tastes (note, as a rule everthing is more expensive in Switzerland)

Joseph wrote on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:27:00 -0500:

JC> Furious Shepherd wrote:
??>> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and
??>> would like to bring home a bottle or two of wine. Living
??>> in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in what I can buy at the
??>> local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll buy some
??>> Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions.
??>> Looking for inexpensive to moderate price range.
??>>
JC> there are good Swiss wines, but you will pay dearly for
JC> even the limited quality. In run I agree with Brain, French
JC> or German depending on your tastes (note, as a rule
JC> everthing is more expensive in Switzerland)

Fendant always seems attractive in Switzerland but it's hardly
worthwhile bringing home. It just does seem as good out of its
native land :-)

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

On 14 Feb., 01:09, "Furious Shepherd"
> wrote:
> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like to bring
> home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in
> what I can buy at the local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll buy
> some Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions. Looking for
> inexpensive to moderate price range.

Basel is very close to some of best locations in Alsace. So if you had
the time, you could take a train/ bus or drive to these places, visit
winemakers or cooperatives, buy wines, etc. The same holds true for
the Baden region in Germany.

Switzerland is, as others point out, expensive. However Basel is right
on the border with Germany and France. So the city itself has French
and German parts. You could thus find wines (or other products) in
supermarkets/ shops in the French or German areas at French or German
prices. If you are looking for French wines, naturally the French
stores will be excellent; but for German or Italian wines, German
stores will offer better choice. Switzerland (together with Belgium)
is one of the best places to buy Bordeaux, so don't discount the wine
stores in Basel's Swiss downtown/ parts.

If you have an evening free, do think of visiting Cafe des Arts just
off the Barfussplatz. It's pricey but absolutely brilliant!

Cheers

On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:57:18 +0100, Mike Tommasi >
wrote:

>Shaun Eli wrote:
>> Buy chocolate and forget the wine. Or buy French and German wines.
>>
>> I think you'll agree after you taste a few local wines, I'm sorry to
>> say.
>
>Disagree.

Much would relate to whether the exposure is to the swill that is
offered in the mass catering halls on the ski slopes at outrageous
prices--airline purloined single serving bottles of Fendant, or if
dining at some of the upscale hotels or eateries of Geneva or
Lausanne.

A few (many) years ago I had the opportunity to dine with a couple of
friends at Girardet in Crissier. Freddie Girardet had been covered by
Gourmet magazine and in the interview had said that he loved to do a
100 SF menu for guests who were seeking the best. (The exchange at
that time pegged the cost at about $65 US per person.)

We wrote to him and challenged him, then planned a trip with some
friends. The meal was an incredible experience, and we placed
ourselves at his mercy for wines with the only specification being
that they be Swiss. We weren't disappointed. We went through about
eight courses over a period of three and a half hours, each one better
than the one before. And, we got our eyes opened with regard to Swiss
wines.

About two years later, Robin Leach of "Lifestyles of the Rich &
Famous" did a "world's best" show and declared Girardet to be the best
restaurant in the world! About another year after that Michelin began
to offer stars to Swiss restaurants and Girardet joined the officially
recognized ranks of the best in the world.

Swiss wines can be quite good, quite expensive and for those who live
outside of the country, quite rare.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

Robert Parker said the only bargain he ever got in Switzerland was
renting a car there instead of in France-- he didn't think much of
Swiss wines.

I'll take Mr. Parker's advice on wine. I really don't consider Robin
Leach an expert in food.

I have never tasted wine in a ski resort- I spent some time in
Switzerland a few years ago, and I've had an occasional bottle of
Swiss wine in the U.S.

And as far getting German wines at German prices in a German store in
Basil, and similarly for French wines in French stores-- hey, no
matter the language the shopkeeper speaks, you're still in
Switzerland.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

On 14 Feb., 23:36, "Shaun Eli" >
wrote:
> Robert Parker said the only bargain he ever got in Switzerland was
> renting a car there instead of in France-- he didn't think much of
> Swiss wines.
>
> I'll take Mr. Parker's advice on wine. I really don't consider Robin
> Leach an expert in food.
>
> I have never tasted wine in a ski resort- I spent some time in
> Switzerland a few years ago, and I've had an occasional bottle of
> Swiss wine in the U.S.
>
> And as far getting German wines at German prices in a German store in
> Basil, and similarly for French wines in French stores-- hey, no
> matter the language the shopkeeper speaks, you're still in
> Switzerland.

Nope...Not in Basel. There are accessible areas which are actually in
France and Germany. And I am not talking about driving for miles. Heck
some of them are connected by city trams!

>
> Shaun Eliwww.BrainChampagne.com
> Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

But why should I bother with someone who imagines having spent "some
time in Switzerland a few years ago" makes the person an authority of
all Swiss wines.

Cheers

On 14 Feb., 02:46, "James Silverton"
<not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not> wrote:
> Joseph wrote on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:27:00 -0500:
>
> JC> Furious Shepherd wrote:
> ??>> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and
> ??>> would like to bring home a bottle or two of wine. Living
> ??>> in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in what I can buy at the
> ??>> local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll buy some
> ??>> Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions.
> ??>> Looking for inexpensive to moderate price range.
> ??>>
> JC> there are good Swiss wines, but you will pay dearly for
> JC> even the limited quality. In run I agree with Brain, French
> JC> or German depending on your tastes (note, as a rule
> JC> everthing is more expensive in Switzerland)
>
> Fendant always seems attractive in Switzerland but it's hardly
> worthwhile bringing home. It just does seem as good out of its
> native land :-)
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

Some Doles from Wallis and Waadt are worth trying too. One finds some
excellent matches among Doles for certain cheeses, käsespätzle, (part)-
veal-sausages (St. Galler), etc.

I don't know how the wines from Tessin are.

Are there parts of Wallis or Tessin which have similar micro-climate
as Valtellina?

Cheers

On 14 Feb 2007 14:36:47 -0800, "Shaun Eli"
> wrote:

>Robert Parker said the only bargain he ever got in Switzerland was
>renting a car there instead of in France-- he didn't think much of
>Swiss wines.

I never expected bargains when traveling in Switzerland. I expected
quality and was never disappointed.
>
>I'll take Mr. Parker's advice on wine. I really don't consider Robin
>Leach an expert in food.

Mr. Parker is a recognized authority on wine, but many folks don't
particularly agree with his "style" of wines. So, there's room for
quality wine which Mr. Parker might not recommend.

Robin Leach was simply a commentator. His "Lifestyles" show spawned a
special on "the best...." of a lot of things, one of which was
restaurants. It was not his expertise that was being promoted, merely
his hosting of the show. While Leach might not be the expert, I've
seldom gone wrong (at least in the '70s, '80s and '90s) when visiting
a Michelin starred establishment. I got to visit Bocuse, Lasserre,
Lameloise, Boyer, Trosgrois and others. When I was at Girardet, he
wasn't eligible to be starred since Michelin didn't award stars in
Switzerland. When they did open the door, Freddie got three.

Whether you ascribe to the Michelin recommendation, the Leach
coverage, Gourmet's description, or mine is irrelevant. You've got to
respect someone's opinion or you can consume a lot of swill seeking to
go your own way.
>
>I have never tasted wine in a ski resort- I spent some time in
>Switzerland a few years ago, and I've had an occasional bottle of
>Swiss wine in the U.S.

Zermatt, Wengen, Gstaad, Davos, Interlachen, etc. all have some
great/grand hotels and restaurants associated with the ski
destinations. While the mountain cafeterias might be mass
market/over-priced dreck, there are a plethora of quality small
chalets on the slopes that offer excellent food. And, in the villages
there are some magnificent restaurants.

I spent more than "some time" in Switzerland, being fortunate enough
to spend several weeks a year over a period of almost ten years in
Europe. I've never sought Swiss wines in the US, but in Switzerland,
there was some excellent wine available.
>
>And as far getting German wines at German prices in a German store in
>Basil, and similarly for French wines in French stores-- hey, no
>matter the language the shopkeeper speaks, you're still in
>Switzerland.

If in Basel and seeking German wine at German prices, my advice is to
walk across the border to Weil am Rhein.


Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com

"Furious Shepherd" > wrote:

> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like
> to bring home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania,
> I'm very limited in what I can buy at the local (state run) wine
> stores. I expect that I'll buy some Riesling & Gewurtz

Riesling & Gewur_z_ are not Swiss, but German & Alsace (for the
first) and Alsace (for the second grape variety).

The best Swiss white I ever had was a Petite Arvine from the
Canton Valais vinified without malo, can't remember the producer.
The best Swiss reds are Merlots from Ticino, as Mike mentioned,
but they are absolutely impossible to find (and command prices in
the range of top notch Bordeaux).

> but I'd love to hear some suggestions.

Hmmm.

> Looking for inexpensive to moderate price range.

Foggedaboutit that as fast as possible if you think about anything
else than undrinkable plonk. But even this latter is *much* more
expensive in Switzerland than everywhere else in Europe.

M.

"Michael Pronay" > wrote in message
...
> "Furious Shepherd" > wrote:
>
>> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like
>> to bring home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania,
>> I'm very limited in what I can buy at the local (state run) wine
>> stores. I expect that I'll buy some Riesling & Gewurtz
>
> Riesling & Gewur_z_ are not Swiss, but German & Alsace (for the
> first) and Alsace (for the second grape variety).
> ...

Since I never heard much about Swiss wines, I expected to come home with
either German or French wines. Everyone seems to agree that I'll need to
leave Switzerland to avoid overpaying. I was planning on making a side trip
into Germany (probably Karlsruhe) and will shop there for my wine.

Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments.

"Furious Shepherd" > wrote:

> Thanks to everyone for the helpful comments.

Don't know specifically about Basel, but Switzerland traditionally
is an very good source for correctly priced Bordeaux and Burgundy,
also with a good choice of vintages. Karlsruhe, otoh, would be the
place to go for German wines.

M.

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:06:36 GMT, Ed Rasimus
> wrote:

>On 14 Feb 2007 14:36:47 -0800, "Shaun Eli"
> wrote:
>
>>Robert Parker said the only bargain he ever got in Switzerland was
>>renting a car there instead of in France-- he didn't think much of
>>Swiss wines.

>>I'll take Mr. Parker's advice on wine. I really don't consider Robin
>>Leach an expert in food.
>
>Mr. Parker is a recognized authority on wine, but many folks don't
>particularly agree with his "style" of wines.

And I have seen stuff with his name on and outside of his areas of
speciality that is plain wrong. I would not regard Parker as any
authority on Swiss wine.

>but in Switzerland, there was some excellent wine available.

That was my exerience. I found Swiss wine bought in Swiss shops
interesting and reasonable value for money.

That said, in the OP's situation I am not sure that I would advise
taking back a couple of Swiss bottles. But in my case, where I had
reasonable wine merchants at home, I was more than happy to buy Swiss
wine to take home.

--
Steve Slatcher
http://pobox.com/~steve.slatcher

On 15 Feb., 13:58, Mike Tommasi > wrote:
> TB wrote:
>
> > Are there parts of Wallis or Tessin which have similar micro-climate
> > as Valtellina?
>
> Canton Ticino has an even better climate than Valtellina (which is dry
> alpine, wherear Ticino is practically mediterranean, i.e. there are
> palm trees). The Merlot there is truly delicious.
>
> --
> Mike Tommasi - Six Fours, France
> email linkhttp://www.tommasi.org/mymail

Thanks Mike. Any suggestions on producers or (if there are such things
in Tessin) negociants?

Cheers

Mike Tommasi > wrote:

> The best swiss I ever had was also a Petite Arvine, botrytis, by
> Cave Liaudissaz.

Sorry, forgot about Thérèse Chappaz who also makes wonderful
botrytized stuff.

But then, when I say "white" and "red" I immediately think dry,
for the simple reason that I rarely drink stickies. I do, however,
acknowledge their quality (of course!), but that doesn't mean that
I drink them on a regular basis.

M.

I was in Basel a couple of months ago -- didn't come across any wines that
really impressed me, but I'm certainly no authority! I'd like to know what
your final selections are...

One cautionary note: plan on packing the wine in checked baggage
(shudder!), because you won't get it through security in carry-on.

Good luck!

Bart


"Furious Shepherd" > wrote in message
k.net...
> I'll be travelling to Basel, Switzerland in March and would like to bring
> home a bottle or two of wine. Living in Pennsylvania, I'm very limited in
> what I can buy at the local (state run) wine stores. I expect that I'll
> buy some Riesling & Gewurtz but I'd love to hear some suggestions. Looking
> for inexpensive to moderate price range.
>
>

I stand corrected. What I probably should have said is something like
"Your odds of randomly choosing a good wine for the price are likely
to be much lower than in many other countries known for their wine."

In any event, if you do opt to bring wines home, putting the bottles
inside pants legs may make them less likely to slide around other
clothing-- because sometimes bottles shift and if one ends up towards
the outside of a soft suitcase it could get smashed.

It's rare-- bottles are pretty strong-- but it does occasionally
happen.

If you're certain you're going to bring wine home you might consider
either buying a wine shipping carton (either here or there) or
carrying bubble wrap and duct tape.