From the Vineyard to Geneva Wines | Lamotte

Almost half a century of journalism has led Jean Lamotte to carry out dozens of reports and interviews in many countries around the world. For several years, he has been closely following the miracle of Geneva's viticulture, which has evolved in a decade from a certain mediocrity to an original and undeniable quality. On fairly ordinary soil, in a climate often challenging but at least moderate in its expressions thanks to the proximity of Lake Geneva, the Geneva winemaker triumphs with determination through his imagination, professional mastery, and talent. Having skillfully cultivated its specificities, he now stands at the head of a vineyard like no other. This small book allows to discover the historical roots of Geneva's viticultural vocation, and the recent evolution that has led it to a completely unique situation in Switzerland and Europe. The analysis, although not exhaustive, of nearly eighty true specialties, allows for a partial detailed review, which will be useful for the enthusiast. Jean Lamotte, a gastronomic columnist, has been knighted in the National Order of Merit and his defense of quality food products has earned him the rank of Agricultural Merit Officer. Unless one is a knowledgeable wine lover or has been involved in the upheaval that marked the Geneva vineyards at the end of the second millennium, one may wonder about the phenomenon that lifted it out of the anonymity in which it seemed to linger. The arrival of a new generation of winemakers, combined with the opening of borders to cheaper and better foreign wines, has disrupted the status quo. Local second-rate wines had to give way imperatively to a first-rate category that a perfect knowledge of the terroir, supported by sharp scientific references, elegantly upheld. It was enough for Geneva wines to surprisingly establish themselves among the vitivinicultural specialties that are talked about. This was not without difficulty. This is the subject of this small book, the reissue of which over the years has also become an imperative necessity. With this new enriched and updated edition, Jean Lamotte offers an essential guide for those interested in Geneva's vineyards, its history, mutations, qualities, and specificities. Publisher: Slatkine (1999), 12x22 cm, 110 pages, paperback.