Great Wine Capitals: A national partnership with Swiss Wine Promotion

Lausanne's membership of the Great Wine Capitals (GWC) network allows the most innovative wine tourism professionals in our country to be recognised by an international jury. Yesterday evening in Mendoza (Argentina), “La Vigne Swiss Wine Therapy” (Travel Factory Sàrl), which had already been awarded the title of “Regional Best Of Wine Tourism” on September 2, 2022 in Aigle, was also awarded “Global Best Of Wine Tourism”, a prize at the international level. Starting November 7 th , internet users can take part in the “People’s Choice Award” competition and vote for their favourite project among the 76 files from the different capitals of the network. The Great Wine Capitals international network brings together the world's largest wine and wine tourism capitals. The following cities are part of the network: Lausanne, Napa Valley-San Francisco, Bordeaux, Mainz-Rheinhessen, Bilbao-Rioja, Valparaiso-Casablanca Valley-Chile, Verona, Adelaide-Australia, Cape Town-South Africa, Porto and Mendoza-Argentina. Once a year, the Great Wine Capitals General Assembly (AGM) is held in one of the above cities. The highlight of this annual general meeting was the presentation of the award “Global Best Of Wine Tourism”, which took place during a gala evening on Thursday 3 November in Mendoza. A wine tourism activity from each of the eleven capitals of the network has been awarded the title of “Global Best Of Wine Tourism”. The Swiss nominees were the winners of the categories of the “Regional Best Of Wine Tourism” competition in Switzerland, namely: “A la Découverte des Titans” (Provins-Valais), “Vignes & Culture” (ACP Agency – based in Neuchâtel), “Escape Game au cœur du vignoble genevois” (La Cave de Genève - Geneva), “La Vigne Swiss Wine Therapy” (Travel Factory Sàrl – Vaud), “The First Wine Hotel in Ticino” (Conca Bella Boutique Hotel in Vacallo – Ticino) and “Tavolata im Naturpark Pfyn-Finges” (Naturpark Pfyn-Finges in Salgesch – Valais). These offers respectively won prizes in the following categories: “Architecture & Landscapes”, “Art & Culture”, “Discovery & Innovation”, “Environment & Development”, “Catering & Hospitality” and “Services & Organisation”. “La Vigne Swiss Wine Therapy” (Travel Factory Sàrl - www. la-vigne. ch ) was designated as the best Swiss offer by the international jury of the GWC network and won one of the 11 “Global Best Of Wine Tourism”- Awards at stake. “People's Choice Award” From 7 to 21 November, the public can vote for their favourite candidate for the "People's Choice Award". Support the Swiss candidates by giving your vote to one of them on www. greatwinecapitals. com ! In 2021, the Cave Adrian & Diego Mathier in Salgesch (Valais) as well as the Wine & Boat offer of Léman Dégustation (Geneva) won the “Services & Organisation” and “Discovery & Innovation” categories of the "People's Choice Award" respectively. A network with high added value for the reputation of the Swiss vineyards Since Lausanne joined the Great Wine Capitals (GWC) network in 2018, the synergies between Switzerland and the network’s members have continued to develop. “The added value offered by this network is important for Swiss wine” , states Nicolas Joss, Director of Swiss Wine Promotion. "The opportunities to communicate the offers are numerous and allow us to reach an international public, both professional and amateur, who appreciate wine and wine tourism discoveries. ” Yann Stucki, Lausanne Great Wine Capitals Coordinator adds: “We have the opportunity to present the various projects that we have undertaken for the development of the Swiss wine tourism offer, following the example of the national concept "Swiss Wine Tour” (the sales platform www. swisswinetour. com was launched on 24 May). “We are delighted to see that the innovative work that we have undertaken is welcomed by our international colleagues” , states Yann Stucki enthusiastically. The Swiss delegation of Lausanne Great Wine Capitals, present at the General Assembly of Great Wine Capitals in Mendoza (Argentina), was represented by Nicolas Joss, Director of Swiss Wine Promotion, Océane Gex, Project Manager at Swiss Wine Promotion, Steeve Pasche, Director of Lausanne Tourisme, Julia Garrigues, Project Manager at Lausanne Tourisme, Yann Stucki, Lausanne GWC Coordinator and Swiss Wine Tour Project Manager and Nicolas Lagier, Manager of the Carlton Hotel in Lausanne. Great Wine Capitals 2023 General Assembly in Lausanne The wine industry and tourism players are delighted to welcome the General Assembly of Great Wine Capitals in Lausanne from 22 to 26 October 2023. Steeve Pasche, Director of Lausanne Tourisme is delighted: "It is an honour to welcome the members of the network next October in Lausanne! This is a unique opportunity to present on site the many Swiss wine and wine tourism assets and to demonstrate that our country, Switzerland, has its place on the world map of wine tourism and prestigious wine destinations. ”

SWISS WINE GRAND PRIX: A VALAISAN WINERY IN THE SPOTLIGHT! The Swiss wine industry met on Friday, October 28, 2022 at the Kursaal in Bern to celebrate the Gala evening of the 16th Grand Prix du Vin Suisse. This year, 80 wineries were in the running to win one of the 39 trophies of the Swiss Wine Grand Prix and one of the 5 special prizes. The title of Swiss Winery of the Year was awarded for the first time to the Cave du Rhodan - Mounir Weine in Salgesch (Valais). Organized jointly by the association VINEA and the newspaper VINUM, the tastings of the 16th edition of the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse took place in Sierre (Valais) from July 25 to 29. During these 5 days, no less than 132 jurors, experts from all over the country, tasted and noted blind the 2325 wines presented at the competition. No less than 300 gold medals were awarded (89 points out of 100) and 418 silver medals. More than 550 guests attended the Gala Ceremony of the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse held in the Kursaal in Bern. After having reached the top of the podium in the category After winning the category “Other red wine” with Syrah 2021, the Cave du Rhodan - Mounir Weine from Salgesch won the coveted title of Swiss Winery of the Year! This winery, managed by the third generation of the Mounir family, also won the Vinissimo "Coup de cœur Rouge" award. A good representation of all Switzerland on the podium In August, the 6 best wines of the 13 categories in the competition (nominated wines) were re-tasted blind by an international jury of 10 people who proceeded to the final classification of the 3 best wines of each category. This panel of specialists was impressed by the exceptional quality of the 80 wines competing for a trophy. The canton of Vaud and Valais share 14 and 13 places on the podium respectively. These two largest wine-producing cantons of Switzerland obtained respectively 5 first places, i. e. Valais in the categories "Other pure white grape varieties", "White blends", "Gamay", "Other pure red grape varieties" and the "Sparkling wines" category. The Vaud wines took first place in the categories "Chasselas", "Rosé and Blanc de Noirs", "Pure Red Blends", "Pure Gamaret, Garanoir or Mara" and finally in the category "White, Red and Rosé Wines with Residual Sugar from 8g/l". The first prize in the Riesling-Sylvaner category was won by the Grisons. Ticino, the emblematic land of the Merlot grape variety, won first prize in this category and the canton of Zürich won first prize in the Pinot Noir category. It is also worth noting that the Germanier - Cave du Tunnel winery, located in Conthey, won first prize in the "Sparkling Wine" category for the fourth year in a row with their Brut millésimé Blanc de Blanc, Jacques Germanier Réserve 2016. All the results: www. grandprixduvinsuisse. ch

Michelin Star Revelation Switzerland 2022 The MICHELIN Star Revelation Ceremony took place on October 17 at the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Lausanne, Switzerland. During the ceremony, Swiss Wine Promotion, the national promotion body for Swiss wines, was pleased to present the Michelin Sommelier Award to Julien Meurillon, sommelier at La Teinturerie restaurant in Délemont. Julien Meurillon has compiled an impressive wine list. Known for his kind advice, his gleaned nuggets, his love of sharing, Julien is not looking to put on a show or to oversell labels. He likes to take risks and surprise his guests with wines that are undeniably out of the ordinary. When he talks about his job, two words come up regularly: pleasure and sharing. After being named Best Sommelier of the Year 2020 by Gault&Millau France, he was named Best Sommelier a second time, this time by Michelin Switzerland. And his success also has two facets: while his sommelier received the "Sommelier Award", sponsored by Swiss Wine, the restaurant was awarded a MICHELIN star. Of the 138 starred restaurants in the 2022 selection, one is now a three-star restaurant, five new restaurants are joining the two-star category and 30 restaurants have just been awarded a star. A new 3-star restaurant: Memories in Bad Ragaz - the best performance of the year! Sven Wassmer has made Memories one of the best restaurants in the world this year with his clean and creative cuisine. In this chic gourmet restaurant at the luxury Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in the canton of St. Gallen, he has won the MICHELIN inspectors' praise with his impeccable expertise, his ability to focus on the essentials, his authentic and unique style and, last but not least, his selection of the best products. A cocktail crowned by three stars! Five new 2-star restaurants The 2022 Guide includes a total of 25 2-star restaurants, including five entries in this category. The most notable entry, a real shooting star in Swiss gastronomy, is Skin's - the restaurant in Lenzburg (Aargau). A newcomer to the selection, it propelled itself into the 2-star category shortly after its opening. Chef Kevin Romes and his brigade (all of whom have experience in 2-star restaurants) impress with their modern cuisine with international and regional influences. La Brezza also joins the list of 2 stars, with its establishments in Arosa (Grisons) and Ascona (Ticino), in the hands of the same chef, Marco Campanella: in winter, he offers his two menus (one conventional, the other vegan) in Arosa, and in summer, he officiates in Ascona. The roots restaurant on the banks of the Rhine in Basel also received two stars thanks to Pascal Steffen's creative vegetarian menu, as did IGNIV Zurich by Andreas Caminada, a restaurant at the Marktgasse Hotel in Zurich, where chef Daniel Zeindlhofer shines with his concept based on sharing. 30 new 1-star restaurants The list of new starred restaurants is impressive, with 30 newcomers to the list of 109 starred restaurants. All starred restaurants can be found on guide. michelin. com

The 5th edition of the Swiss Wine Tourism Meetings and the national “Best Of Wine Tourism” competition took place this Friday, 2 September at the Château d'Aigle, in Aigle (VD). These events brought together, in a full hall, professionals and enthusiasts wanting to know more about wine tourism. The Swiss Wine Tourism Meetings took place under the sign of gastronomy and the interregional federation. The “Best Of Wine Tourism” rewarded seven Swiss wine tourism experiences. The jury's favourite went to “The First Wine Hotel in Ticino” - Hotel Conca Bella Boutique Hotel in Vacallo in Ticino, which won the Terre & Nature award. One day, two events, one goal: to encourage synergies around wine tourism in Switzerland! This year, during the Swiss Wine Tourism Meetings, the main theme was gastronomy and the interregional federation. This day was opened by a speech by Mr Frédéric Borloz, State Councillor of Vaud. Conferences and workshops highlighted the essential role played by gastronomy in the development of wine tourism. “The more the restaurants work hand in hand with local products, the more our country will be perceived as a gourmet destination in its own right”, comments Gilles Meystre , member of the committees of GastroSuisse and Switzerland Tourism. On this day, all the regions participating in the Swiss Wine Tour came together to symbolise the desire of market players to join forces and develop a nationwide offer. The marketing of an exclusive interregional product has been announced. This product will be on sale on the booking platform www. swisswinetour. com in spring 2023. At the end of the meetings, the participants had the pleasure of tasting wines and local products from the Aigle region during the midday meal, while the post-ceremony aperitif allowed the public to discover wines from the six Swiss wine regions as well as award-winning wines at the last edition of the Mondial du Chasselas. The “Best Of Wine Tourism” competition rewards innovation Since 2021, the designation “Swiss Wine Tourism Award” has given way to “Best Of Wine Tourism”, in order to meet the requirements of the international network of Great Wine Capitals, of which the City of Lausanne has been a part since 2018. The regional “Best Of Wine Tourism” awards showcase the richness and diversity of the Swiss offer in this area. “We are delighted to discover each year that the wine tourism offer is becoming more and more innovative and increasingly supported by players other than those of the wine industry”, comments Robert Cramer, President of the Jury. “This demonstrates the still under-exploited potential of the intersectoral and interregional federation. ” The offers “A la Découverte des Titans » (Provins-Valais), “Vignes & Culture” (ACP Agency – based in Neuchâtel), “Escape Game au cœur du vignoble genevois » (La Cave de Genève - Geneva), “La Vigne Swiss Wine Therapy” (Travel Factory Sàrl – Vaud), “The First Wine Hotel in Ticino” (Conca Bella Boutique Hotel in Vacallo – Ticino), “Tavolata im Naturpark Pfyn-Finges” (Naturpark Pfyn-Finges in Salgesch – Valais) and Cave Ardévaz, (Boven family in St-Pierre-de-Clages – Valais) , respectively won the awards in the categories Architecture/Landscapes, Art/Culture, Discovery/Innovation, Environment/Development, Catering/Hospitality, Services/Organisation and Local Artisans. Domaine Bovy in Chexbres (VD) was rewarded for its pioneering wine tourism activities and offers with an honorary award. The Terre & Nature award rewarded the “favourite” offer among all those submitted to the jury. The winner of this edition is “The First Wine Hotel in Ticino” - Hotel Conca Bella Boutique Hotel in Vacallo in Ticino . The winners were chosen by a professional jury and a general public jury from among more than 40 files submitted by candidates from all over Switzerland. Thanks to the integration of Lausanne into the Great Wine Capitals network (GWC), the winners of the various categories of the Swiss “Regional Best Of Wine Tourism” have the opportunity to automatically participate in the international competition for the “Global Best Of Wine Tourism” – a title that rewards the best Swiss offer among the winners of the national competition categories. The results of this competition will be announced at the gala of the next General Assembly of the Great Wine Capitals network on 3 November in Mendoza (Argentina). The Great Wine Capitals General Assembly and the Best Of Wine Tourism 2023 Awards In October 2023, Lausanne will have the honour of hosting the Annual General Assembly of the Great Wine Capitals network. During this international gathering, the “Best Of Wine Tourism” will be awarded. A wonderful opportunity to demonstrate that Switzerland fully deserves its place on the world map of prestigious wine tourism destinations.

Swiss Wine Promotion (SWP), the national promotion body for Swiss wines, continues to expand its presence in China, in collaboration with the Swiss Centers, by creating official accounts on the Chinese social networks WeChat and Weibo. In October 2021, SWP began its partnership with the Swiss Centers (SC) to develop the presence of Swiss wines in China, with the common goal to promote Swiss wines on the dynamic Chinese market. Indeed, the consumption of wine in China is increasing thanks to the new generation. In 2021, the People's Republic of China remained in sixth position for Swiss wine exports with 5. 3% of volumes and the second largest export market in Asia, despite the economic turmoil created by the pandemic. Taking this into account and at the request of our partners, SWP has decided to complement its physical presence, through activities and events, with a strong digital communication to make Swiss wines stand out in an impactful way among Chinese-speaking amateurs and professionals alike. This is why, in collaboration with the SCs, SWP has created official accounts on the Chinese social networks WeChat and Weibo. These platforms are exciting opportunities to promote the Swiss wine region. The promotion of Swiss vintages is also the promotion of Switzerland through content around tourism, know-how, diversity and innovation. Swiss Wine Promotion represented in China The Swiss Centers are the representative and the local operational force of Swiss Wine Promotion in China. Together, SWP and the SCs have defined and developed marketing and communication, through fairs, events and social media. The SCs support importers and Swiss wine estates for better visibility of Swiss vintages and facilitate sales on the Chinese-speaking market for the products in demand. SC specialists support the export process, as well as sales and marketing activities.