The Winery Gemswandler of Graubünden

Discovering the wine region of Graubünden

Graubunden (or Grisons, in the French language) is the easternmost administrative canton and wine appellation of Switzerland. Bordering Austria, this alpine region boasts just over 400 hectares (990 acres) of Vineyard, predominantly Pinot Noir grown in the Bündner Herrschaft and wider valleys of the Maienfeld region. The largest canton by land area in the country and the source of the Rhine river, Graubunden is basically divided into fertile valley floor and soaring alpine peaks. After making its way down from its source at the Tomasee, high in the Alps, the Rhine turns Northwards, through the substantial valley it has carved for itself over many millennia.

The valley floor alternates between relatively flat areas - well irrigated and highly fertile - and steeper, faster-draining slopes which enjoy sunnier aspects. It is on the latter that the finest Graubunden vineyard sites are located. The better soils in the area are a mixture of schist and gneiss, loosely structured and warmed by the Bright mountain sunshine. Typically the vineyards are planted on the right bank of the river as this offers a westerly aspect and more manageable slopes.

The Rhine tightly hugs the base of the mountains here, leaving little room even for terraced vineyards. The prime sites are located just across the river from Bad Ragaz (itself only a few kilometers from the border with Lichtenstein), on the steep South-west-facing slopes below the Vilan peak and the wider Rätikon mountain range. This area is known as the Bündner Herrschaft and, in terms of wine, is further divided into four communes, or municipalities: Fläsch, Maienfeld, Jenins and Malans (from north to south). It is common to see these names on labels, for example: "Malanser" or "Fläscher" Pinot Noir are regularly encountered.