Swiss Grape Varieties - Histories and Origins | José Vouillamoz

In Switzerland, more than 250 grape varieties are cultivated on an area of only 15,000 hectares, which is probably a world record. Among them, 80 can be considered indigenous: 59 are recent crosses obtained by human intervention, and 21 are spontaneous crosses that have appeared over time in the vineyards. The origin of the latter often relies on folklore legends. The Amigne du Valais is said to have been introduced by the Romans, the Completer from the Grisons is believed to have been imported from Italy by Benedictine monks, the Chasselas is said to come from Egypt or Constantinople, etc. In recent years, DNA testing has challenged preconceived ideas by revealing several unsuspected parentages, such as discovering the parents of Rouge du Pays (or Cornalin in Valais), the parents of Räuschling from Zurich, and the offspring of Completer. For indigenous grape varieties, this work presents the main synonyms, history, genealogy (including several unpublished ones), etymology, area, growing regions, different types of wine, as well as personal recommendations on representative producers. José Vouillamoz, originally from Valais, is an internationally renowned vine geneticist, trained in grape DNA profiling at the University of California, Davis (USA). Alongside the famous journalists Jancis Robinson MW and Julia Harding MW, he is the co-author of the book Wine Grapes (Allen Lane, 2012), the global reference on all grape varieties cultivated worldwide. With biologist Giulio Moriondo from Aosta Valley, he is the co-author of the book Origin of Valaisan and Aostan grape varieties (Belvédère Editions, 2011), now out of print. He is also the author and co-author of numerous scientific articles and books on grape varieties. José Vouillamoz is also a recognized wine expert who is invited to give lectures and tastings in many countries. He is a member of the International Wine Academy, the Bordeaux Wine Academy, and the Circle of Wine Writers.