Switzerland - Grisons

Irene, who has built up her winery single-handedly over the past two decades as an autodidact, has recently been joined by her son Johannes. Together they have taken a huge step towards sustainability. Chapeau! Of course, I don't just take my hat off to Irene's commitment, no, I also bow to the quality of her wines. At a retrospective - the first 19 vintages of Pinot Noir from the Eichholz vineyard were available to taste - Irene and Johannes demonstrated the enormous potential of their wines. It was great to see how wines from years that demanded a little more patience and work from the winemaker matured. Eichholz, for me a Graubünden icon!

Hermann is not an uncommon name in the Bündner Herrschaft. That's why it's important to know exactly who you're dealing with. Roman Hermann, who took over the business from his parents Rosmarie and Peter after years of travel that took him to New Zealand to work with Georg Fromm and to the Palatinate with Pinot Noir superstar Friedrich Becker. He presses energetic wines from Burgundy varieties, which combine complexity and elegance in a wonderful way. Wines of character! Completer, yes, Hermann can do that too. And how! He also has a knack for Sauvignon Blanc. In general, you can't go wrong here, these wines have class. All of them!

Annatina, who after more than 20 solo harvests has the support of Laura, her daughter, should breathe a sigh of relief. Women power! With a lot of foresight, the two of them press wines on countless small vineyards, which are among the region's flagship products, both white and red! The two Pelizzatti ladies choose the right time for the harvest like only the very famous ones in the Herrschaft do. The focus is on elegance, but they are not afraid of powerful wines. They are not afraid of structure either. Even if not just slowly, you can always feel that the Pelizzatti wines are charged with energy and gain in elegance and precision. I think that's great - and I'm sure Annatina agrees with me. So stay tuned!