He wasn’t just making wine, we suspected. He was capturing a terroir in a bottle. We went to find out how.

The Place

Pfister took over a small vineyard in Ligerz in 2019. What began as a personal ambition has quietly become something rather serious — organic certification, hand-harvested fruit, and a growing reputation among those who pay attention to what is happening on the shores of Lake Biel. About half the vineyards around the lake now farm organically. Pfister is among them.

We took a walk up the hill through the vineyards with Pfister to look at the soil and vines.

The microclimate here is generous and precise in equal measure. The lake tempers temperatures at night, preserving acidity and extending the ripening season. The terraced slopes capture the sun by day.

The soil in Twann is sandy loam and is characterized by its lime and clay content. The rock types found in his vineyard are mainly limestone, marl, and claystone. It is a rocky remnant of glacial activity, the kind of substrate that keeps vines in a productive struggle and rewards patience with mineral precision.

Here is the lithological overview of the vineyard by Lake Biel, with credit to he Association Roche et Vin for their the excellent book set Roches et Vins, available in either French or German.

Image credit: From the highly recommended book set Roches et Vins, 2018.

This is the essence of terroir: not just geography, but the relationship between the plant and the effort it must make to survive. More effort, better wine.

Image credit: Joel Pfister

The Cellar

When we arrived at the cellar, Pfister had prepared a generous platter of local meats and cheeses already laid out, which we appreciated enormously. Old wood carvings ran along the beams overhead, relics of an earlier age. One inscription caught my eye: Die Schönste Gabe des Weines ist die Freundschaft or The most beautiful gift of wine is friendship. A good philosophy for a cellar.

Along the walls in the back room, barrels of red were slowly finding their character.

The Philosophy

Pfister trained as an apprentice under a seasoned winemaker, then spent years moving between cellars across the region. Each experience, he told us, added a new layer of understanding. The accumulation of all that time is visible in how he works today — deliberately, unhurriedly, with considerable respect for what nature is already doing without his interference.

“The most interesting wines are produced with as little intervention as possible,” he said, drawing a sample of the 2024 Pinot Noir directly from the cask for us. It was extraordinary. Low intervention, but very high attention.

His approach rests on three convictions. First, that healthy fruit is everything — ninety percent of the work happens outside, in the vineyard, before the grapes ever reach the cellar. Second, that wild indigenous yeasts — those living on the grape skins and in the cellar itself — create a complexity that commercial yeasts simply cannot replicate. Third, that time is non-negotiable. If a vintage needs two years to settle, it gets two years. Nobody is rushing anything here.

He selects casks of three different ages for his Pinot Noir barrique, each contributing something distinct to the final wine. It’s a technique that draws out the character of a vintage rather than imposing one upon it.

The Wines

1. Sauvignon Blanc Orange — Amphora Wine 2023

Varietal: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vinification: 2 weeks of skin maceration. Amphora, unfiltered. Lake Biel AOC. CH-BIO. 12% alcohol.

Appearance: Salmon-hued, glowing in the glass.

Nose: Classic citrus zest — energetic and immediate.

Taste: Lively acidity with a salty mineral edge. Ripe citrus, orange zest, genuine verve. The finish is long and persistent.

Paired with: Exceptionally versatile — spicy dishes, Mediterranean food with citrus notes, or simply good company. Orange wine rewards adventurous pairing.

Storage Potential: Drink now through 2027.

2. Blanc de Noir 2023

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Vinification: Twann – Lake Biel AOC. CH-BIO. 13% alcohol.

Appearance: Delicate pink, luminous in the glass.

Nose: Sun-warmed wild strawberries, a whisper of raspberry, crushed petals.

Taste: Lively and charming from the first sip. Pure ripe berry fruit, light and dry, with a clean mineral finish that lingers just long enough to make you reach for the glass again.

Paired with: A quintessential summer wine. Picnics, light salads, grilled vegetables, a sunny terrace aperitif.

Storage Potential: Drink within 1–3 years.

3. Pinot Noir Barrique 2023

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Vinification: Oak barrels, three different ages. Unfiltered. Lake Biel AOC. CH-BIO. 13% alcohol.

Appearance: Translucent ruby red, with a lively sheen that catches the light like the lake surface outside.

Nose: Red fruits, blackcurrants, pepper and honey, with an elegant freshness underneath.

Taste: Beautiful fruit intensity, pure and ripe, carried by a vibrant acidity that keeps each sip interesting. The tannins are supple, the balance between fruit and oak is exactly right.

Finish: A pleasant persistence of honey, with a slight salty edge.

Pair with: Game birds, turkey, poultry. Pfister himself recommends waiting until 2026–2029 before opening it. We will try our best. (We make no promises.)

Storage Potential: 3–6 years.

Visiting the Vineyards with Pfister

Why It Matters

Driving home, we were still talking about the cask tasting — the privilege of tasting a wine that won’t exist in the same form again. A visit to Pfister is a reminder of what slow craft looks like up close. He isn’t trying to make a product that tastes identical year after year. He is trying to capture a moment in time, on a particular parcel, on a particular slope, beside a particular lake.

Whether you are a seasoned oenophile or someone who simply loves a good glass with dinner, there is a world of discovery waiting here. Lake Biel deserves far more attention than it receives. Pfister is one very good reason to start paying it.

Visit by Appointment

Reserve a visit by calling 078 775 41 63 (in French, German or English) or email: joel (at) pfisterweine.ch.

Public Transit: The SBB/CFF train to Twann station drops you just a 2-minute walk from the cellar. A scenic ride, highly recommended.

On Foot: The national tourism site MySwitzerland recommends a cycling route around Lake Biel that passes directly by the vineyard.

Address: Pfister Weine, Moos 15, Twann. Buy online at pfisterweine.ch.

We made a small group visit to Joel Pfister in 2026. You are very welcome to join us on future visits — details on our event calendar at luma.com/paxromanawines.

Dear Subscribers,

We have launched a calendar of small group vineyard visits for 2026. You are welcome to join us!

What’s the program?

• Visit the vineyards

• Visit the wine cellar (cave)

• Taste several wines with the winemaker and discuss them

• Enjoy a light apéro (usually local meats, cheeses and breads)

• The small fees covers the costs of the organizing and the apéro

And the practical details?

• Small group of 8-10 participants

• Usually on a Saturday, sometimes on Sunday

• The winemakers might speak French, German, Italian or English. If you don’t speak the winemaker’s language, we will translate for you.

Visits Planned:

January 31 Pfister Weine, Twann, Bern

February Hössli Wein, Zeihen, Fricktal, Aargau

March 14 Domaine du Brantard, Denens, Vaud

April 18 Cave St-Germain, Moutier, Bern

May 3 Domaine Les Hutins, Dardagny, Genève

June TBC

How can you join?

You are invited to register on our new event calendar on Luma.

Looking forward to seeing you in real life!

Jodie & Xavier

The Jaunin family has been growing chasselas grapes and making wine in the Chexbres village area since 1458. I had the pleasure of visiting Pierre-Andre Jaunin, his wine cellar and vineyard just as the vines were beginning to bud this week. His vineyard might just have the best view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss alps of the entire region.

He started as a winemaker’s apprentice, subsequently spending over 2 decades as a cavist-oenologist working for others in the Lavaux region. Jaunin rented vineyards in the region on the side, and in 2001 decided to strike out on his own as an independent winemaker.

Working to improve the quality of the soil, and ensure the vines have an optimal growing environment is essential for him. In 2001, he ended all herbicide treatments in his vineyards, and in 2003 became only the second certified organic winemaker in Lavaux.

I find notable that other winemakers speak so highly of Jaunin’s work, and buy his wine to consume at home with their own families.

Philosophy

Jaunin is passionate about the chasselas varietal, as Lavaux its its native region. Preserving the tradition of chasselas is critical to him, as part of the living heritage of the Lavaux.

Chasselas is notable for its ability to express the terroir, and the resulting wine can be dramatically different from parcel to parcel. Jaunin’s wine is a vivid demonstration of this. He likes light bodied, dry white wines, secondary (malo-lactic) fermentation and aging his wines on their natural lees. His wine all have well-balanced moderate acidity.

He presses his wines of a vertical hydraulic basket press system that is over 75 years old, which he meticulously maintains. The vertical hydraulic press takes 5-6 hours to complete a pressing cycle, in contrast to most modern pneumatic membrane presses, which take 2.5 hours. The yield may be slightly lower, but overall results in less damage to the skin and seeds of the grape. This antique press design is now being built again, and is favored by many high-end champagne producers.

The Wines

La Cochere

Cultivated in goblet, and raised on its lees, this classic chasselas is a dry wine, light bodied, with a fruity nose with apple and linden blossom notes, well balanced, with a long and moderate mineral finish. Very low sulfur. Winner of a Silver medal at the Swiss Bio Vino 2023 awards.

Le Trinquet

This unique low-alcohol chasselas is made by Jaunin by selecting grapes from particular individual vines, which he knows have a naturally lower sugar level than others on the same parcel. The result is an artisanal chasselas with 30% less alcohol naturally than most wines - only 10% alcohol by volume. For wine lovers looking to moderate their alcohol consumption - Le Trinquet is an incredible find. Floral notes of linden flowers, salt, well balanced with a light mineral finish of tremendous persistance. Winner of a Silver medal at the Swiss Bio Vino 2023 awards.

La Galiote

Stemming from a unique parcel of vertical wine terraces by the lake’s edge, this chasselas benefits from a unique microclimate, which gives this wine both volume and richness, along with its characteristic linden floral notes and long mineral finish. The most gastronomic of his three chasselas.

Pairing with meals

Chasselas is a classic choice for aperitifs and with cheese dishes like fondue or raclette. The moderate acidity deftly slices through the fat content of the cheese, leaving your palate refreshed. It can also pair well with light fish, poultry and vegetable dishes.

Visit by Appointment

Reserve a visit or purchase wine by calling 079 319 13 34 (in French) or email: pierre-andre.jaunin (at) bluewin.ch.

Public Transit: The CFF will take you to Chexbres station, from there it’s a 5-10 minute walk to his wine cellar.

On Foot: The national tourism site My Switzerland proposes this itinerary to walk from St-Saphorin to Lutry through Lavaux. Jaunin’s vineyard is on the route.

Address: Pierre-André Jaunin, Winemaker, Chemin de Chenilly 2, 1071 Chexbres

Why an Index?

Natural wine, or low intervention wine, is a movement to go back to the origins of winemaking with low-intervention methods. Natural wine is made of organically farmed grapes, using no pesticides on the grapes or herbicides on the soil. It is fermented with natural indigenous yeasts, produced with no additives, and usually is unfiltered. Some studies have documented similarity to traditional wine making techniques still used in Georgia today.

The scale of the difference is like in music moving from Chopin, to Frank Sinatra to Brian Eno. Natural wines show a remarkable diversity in aromas, flavours, textures, in how they express the terroir.

In the natural wine bars of Paris, and specialist shop dedicated to the movement, you often hear people discussing how “rock & roll” a natural wine is. This index is informally used to decode and describe how much adventure waits in the bottle for the wine-seeker, who hasn’t yet had the opportunity to taste - yet.

I originally planned to write this article comparing different Rock & Roll Scales…. but in fact I couldn’t find competing indexes. So this is my attempt to document the Rock and Rock Index I see in use today in 2025.

Go Deeper

Video Interview: The Origins of Natural Wine: A Conversation with Camille Lapierre and Jean Foillard - Grapecollective.com

Journal Article: The Natural Wine Phenomenon and the Promise of Sustainability, by Pablo Alonso González and Eva Parga-Dans

Image Source: Public domain image from 1907, Revolt of the Winemakers, Français : Montpellier 9 juin 1907 duel entre le vin du Midi et le sucre du Nord, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1907_Vigne_vs_Sucre.jpg, accessed 15 March 2025.

The movement to return to natural wines in Europe was born in France and Italy, and has since expanded with developments in Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Spain. We took a Pax Romana outing to Milan, a great city to indulge in delicious food and wine from all over Italy. We visited the first and oldest natural wine bar in the city, Vinoir. Nestled on one of the canals in Naviglia, this high-end bar or enoteca launched in 2011, expanding in 2016. They offer delicious apéritivi, cheeses and freshly prepared hot dishes as well. The expert staff are one-half tour guides to this terra incognita supporting your discovery of new horizons, one-half poet laureate’s telling the tales of the winemakers and their oenological adventures and expressions.

A must visit wine bar if you are in Milan. Vinoir, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 93b, 20143 Milano. +39 02 39811202. Not in Milan? They even have a web shop!

What we tasted:

Altomare, from Azienda Agricola Barraco, Marsala, Sicily (2020), 100% Grillo. Antonino Barraco’s vineyards are by the ocean. One feel the freshness and the salty air in the wine. I’m fascinated that he prepared the grillo grapes in 4 different- but all natural vinification processes, and then blended them to achieve this incredible result. 25% is prepared with deliberate oxidation like wine from the Jura, which gives the wine a great edge. 2020 was the 3rd year of production of this grillo in 4 ways concept

Rock & Roll Scale: 4 of 5

Color: Unfiltered golden orange. 13% alcohol.

Nose: Orange blossom, walnuts, dried raisin, marzipan.

Taste: Intense and multi leveled, burst of bright crisp acidity

Middle: Smoothness, light oxidation like a vin jaune from the French Jura, aromas of

Finish: Salty, slightly mineral, coppery

It paired exceptionally well with a blue cheese from Auvergne and a St-Felicien.

We also Discovered:

Uis Blancis by Denis Montanar (2021) from Udine, Friuli.

A second Italian natural wine maker I discovered on this trip to Italy was Denis Montanar. He has perhaps the most transparent label we have ever seen of a winemaker. It makes a new era of consumer communication. Every question you might have had about the production of the wine - but never dared to ask - is presented here. From the number of bottles, to the altitude of the vineyard, the soil composition, the year the vines were planted, the winemaking method, and the method of pruning (guyot bilateral if you are curious) is included. Cheers to Mr. Montanar!

Varietals: Blend of Friulano, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc, Verduzzo

Rock & Roll Scale: 4 of 5

Color: Unfiltered deep golden yellow, unfiltered

Nose: Intense warm citrus, honey, pear

Taste: Well balanced, quite vivacious. Aromas of dried apricot and honey. Excellent persistence.

27 February-2 March Swiss Wine Festival, Winterthur

28 February Natural Wine Salon, SO2 Salon du Vin Nature, Vevey

5 April Lavaux Vin Bio, Organic Winemakers of Lavaux, Aran

26 April La Fête des Vins Vivants, Montheron

1-4 May Deutschschweiz Offene Weinkeller, Various

23-24 May Global Day of Chasselas, Mondial du Chasselas, Various

24 May Caves Ouvertes Genève

6 April Humus and Weine, Grandvaux

9-10 May Caves Ouvertes Neuchâtel

29-31 May Caves Ouvertes Valais

29-31 May Jardin des Vins, Sion

7-8 June Caves Ouvertes Vaud

17-25 May Open Cellars Ticino, Cantine Aperte

6-7 September Winefest Jenins, Jenins

29-30 November Salon BioVino, Lausanne

1 December Festival of Natural Wine, Festival Vin Nature, Lausanne

(FR) voir ci-dessous (DE) seine unten

(EN) Tasting Notes

We went to Domaine Chappaz where Marie Therese Chappaz and her team warmly welcomed clients for a wonderful tasting day, showcasing her wines paired with delicious local cheeses, and artisanal breads and crackers.

Wine: Grain Hermitage President Troillet 2023. Old vines with between 60-99 years each, low volume of production, combined with 12 months of barrel aging. extraordinary density, yet fresh.

Varietal: Marsanne/Hermitage

Appearance: Golden like pale acacia honey

Nose: The nose of light raspberry brandy with notes of candied apricots and light flower pollen.

Taste: The mouth is full and very quickly the palate is lined with pretty bitters, with a light saline finish. Light bodied. Aging for 12 months, really dazzling freshness.

Paired with: Caramel gruyere from the Cheese House Duttweiler Fromage in Forel (Lavaux) and a bread are of Littlespelt, one of the the first varieties of wheat domesticated by humans in approximately 800-10,000 BC.

Rock & Roll Index Score: 2

Storage Potential: 3-50 years. (We only have 2 bottles…. so this will be challenging!)

https://www.chappaz.ch/

(FR) Dégustation à Fully, Valais

Nous nous sommes rendus au Domaine Marie Thérèse Chappaz et son équipe ont chaleureusement accueilli les clients pour une merveilleuse journée de dégustation, présentant ses vins accompagnés de délicieux fromages locaux, de pains et de crackers artisanaux.

Vin : Grain Hermitage Président Troillet 2023. Vieilles vignes de 60 à 99 ans chacune, faible volume de production, combiné à 12 mois d'élevage en barrique. Densité extraordinaire, mais frais.

Cépage : Marsanne / Ermitage

Aspect : Doré comme le miel d'acacia pâle

Nez : Nez d'eau de vie de framboise légère avec des notes d'abricots confits et de pollen de fleurs légères. .

Goût : La bouche est ample et très vite le palais est tapissé de jolis amers, avec une légère finale saline. Léger. Vieillissement de 12 mois, fraîcheur vraiment éblouissante.

A déguster avec : Un gruyère au caramel de la Maison Duttweiler Fromage à Forel (Lavaux) et un pain de Littlespelt, une des premières variétés de blé domestiquées par l'homme vers 800-10 000 avant Jésus-Christ.

Index Rock & Roll : 2 (merci à #cavepurjus pour son index humoristique !)

Potentiel de stockage : 3-50 ans. (Nous n'avons que 2 bouteilles.... donc ce sera un défi !)

https://www.chappaz.ch/

(DE) Weinverkostungnotizen

Wir besuchten das Weingut vor einige Wochen, wo Marie Therese Chappaz und ihr Team ihre Kunden herzlich zu einem wunderbaren Verkostungstag begrüßten und ihre Weine zusammen mit köstlichen lokalen Käsesorten und handwerklich hergestelltem Brot präsentierten.

Wein: Grain Hermitage Präsident Troillet 2023. Alte Reben mit einem Alter von jeweils 60 bis 99 Jahren, geringe Produktionsmenge, kombiniert mit 12 Monaten Fasslagerung. Außergewöhnliche Dichte, aber dennoch frisch.

Rebsorte: Marsanne / Ermitage

Aussehen: Golden wie blasser Akazienhonig

Aroma: Der Geruch von leichtem Himbeergeist mit Noten von kandierten Aprikosen und leichtem Blütenpollen.

Geschmack: Der Mund ist voll und sehr schnell wird der Gaumen mit hübschen Bitterstoffen ausgekleidet, mit einem leicht salzigen Abgang.Leicht im Körper. 12 Monate gereift, wirklich umwerfende Frische.

Dazu passt: Karamell-Greyerzer vom Käsehaus Duttweiler, Fromage in Forel (Lavaux) und ein Brot aus Littlespelt, eine der ersten Weizensorten, die der Mensch etwa 800–10.000 v. Chr. domestizierte.

Rock-and-Roll-Index: 2 (danke an #cavepurjus für ihren humorvollen Index!)

Lagerfähigkeit: 3–50 Jahre. (Wir haben nur 2 Flaschen … das wird also eine Herausforderung!)

https://www.chappaz.ch/

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Why this, why now?

Fewer than 1% of Swiss wines are exported. Many excellent artisan and independent winemakers of Switzerland sell only locally, or to regular clients who have visit the vineyard, and purchase directly. Great wines from the Canton of Vaud or Ticino might be entirely unknown in Zurich, let alone London or New York.

This newsletter aims to bridge the gap, connecting curious international wine connoisseurs, with the largely undiscovered wines and their creators, the winemakers of Switzerland. Many of the winemakers I write about have challenging terrain, harvest exclusively by hand, bottle on their own properties, and have limited production.

I focus on winemakers with organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, as well as those converting to organic. Why? These winemakers understand that healthy soils are essential for the long term sustainability of wine production. Intensive agriculture as practiced today is linked to the United Nations projection back in 2014 that we have 60 harvests left before topsoil degradation compromises future generations ability to enjoy the same quality of food, water as we do today.

A Community of the Oenologically Curious

You are invited to join me in discovering new wines, and talented producers who are redefining what it means to be able to taste the terroir. I am a fan of the French Rock & Roll Index for calibrating and communicating about the level of oenological adventure new wines present. I welcome comments and discussion.

Subscribers

What to expect if you subscribe?

• Posts several times a month, usually on Sunday

If you support my newsletter as a (future) paid subscriber? I intend to offer:

• Opportunities to buy limited production wines from artisans winemakers

• Recommended maps for regional tasting routes and programs

• Opportunities to join future small group visits to vineyards for tastings

Photos: by JR

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