August 19, 2016 (Freienstein, Switzerland)
How familiar are you with Swiss wine? Did you even know that the Swiss made wine? I never really thought about it, but after seeing wine made nearly everywhere I’ve lived, it wasn’t a complete shock to find wine being fermented here in Switzerland. (For the record, the worst local wine I ever had was from Florida, USA. At the tasting, the white wine was described in these terms: “slightly grassy and acidic – some people say it has hints of gasoline”. Yumm. I still tried it, despite my better judgement – live and learn.)
One of the first things we did upon arriving in Switzerland was to join several Meetup groups. This is a great way to meet people (mostly expats and other foreigners) and to get excellent suggestions for things to see and do that you would not typically find in a guidebook.
Our first Meetup was a short hike with a visit to a winery and a tasting. We took a bus to the airport bus terminal where the group came together, then took a bus to the final destination. We started walking uphill toward the forest and were soon passing pastureland with sheep and clanging cow bells, community gardens, and wooden sheds.
Our group encountered an older couple walking along the road who asked what we were doing. Our answer of “wine tasting” was met with slightly confused facial expressions. I soon found out why – this road really only led to an old castle and less than a handful of associated buildings – we were all parading up this couple’s driveway.
At the top of the hill is the castle, Schloss Teufen (which I have come to learn is also a winery). The earlier confused looks must have meant it was not a wine tasting day at the Schloss.
We then followed the ridgeline a mile or so down the road to the Schwarz family winery, Weingut Schwarz.
As it turns out, the family had owned the land for generations and had been farmers and keepers of livestock. Grandpa planted a few vines, Dad planted a few more. Son trained as a vintner in Australia and Bordeaux, converted the farm entirely to producing wine around 2004, and here they are today.
The wine was excellent and they had 8-10 different types ready for us to sample. Of course, we sampled all of them while watching the sunset and enjoying time with new friends. Nearly everyone bought something – one person even purchased 8 bottles to take home. We brought back a Schwarzer König (King Black), but should have picked up more than one.
If you have the time, they do tasting events nearly every Saturday night. If you bring a large group please call ahead so they can properly prepare. Check out their website and events listing here.
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