Chasselas Day hosted by Gilles Besse – Thursday 12th December
From humble origins to a place of honor in Swiss winemaking, Chasselas is often misunderstood—sometimes overlooked as a table grape rather than a contender for fine wine. But for those willing to delve deeper, Chasselas reveals layers of complexity, minerality, and finesse that make it a true gem of our alpine terroir.
To celebrate this grape, we are delighted to invite Members to a full day of festivities dedicated to Chasselas, featuring exclusive tastings and pairings.
Chasselas Walkaround Tasting
From 14:00, Valentine Luyet master sommelier will be showcase some of the finest expressions of this grape from some of the 2024 Mondial du Chasselas Award Winners.
Vertical Tasting from the Jean-René Germanier cave
Gilles Besse will be hosting an exclusive vertical tasting in our Clubroom for our Members from 18:00. Nephew of Jean-René Germanier and President of Swiss Wine Promotion he’s been a jazz saxophonist and now a celebrated winemaker, Gilles will guide you through a tasting of several vintages.
The wines we will be tasting:
2023 Fendant Les Terrasses, Jean-René Germanier
2023 Fendant Balavaud Grand Cru, Jean-René Germanier
2014 Fendant Les Terrasses, Jean-René Germanier
2013 Fendant Balavaud Grand Cru, Jean-René Germanier
2006 Fendant Les Terrasses, Jean-René Germanier
2003 Fendant Balavaud Grand Cru, Jean-René Germanier
1992 Fendant Les Terrasses, Jean-René Germanier
1993 Fendant Balavaud Grand Cru, Jean-René Germanier
Domaine Jean-René Germanier dinner
To conclude the day’s festivities, we are delighted to offer a specially curated wine-pairing dinner crafted by our chef, Luca Tassan, designed to showcase the finesse and versatility of wines from Domaine Jean-René Germanier – Chasselas and beyond… Founded in 1886 and among Switzerland’s oldest wineries, it remains a family-owned estate, now led by Jean-René and his nephew Gilles Besse. Their passion for quality has earned them a status among Switzerland’s finest winemakers, with a particular devotion to the native varieties that express the unique terroir of the Valais.
The wines we will be tasting:
2011 Les Terrasses – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
2023 Heida Banya – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
2019 Heida Réserve – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
2014 Chamaray – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
2014 Cayas – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
2018 Mitis – Domaine Jean-René Germanier
Four-course menu:
Omble chevalier ceviche, pear carpaccio, walnut crumble
Soft poached egg, fromage de Bagnes fondue, thyme sauce
Braised beef Herens breed, mashed potatoes, turnips
Quince three ways
Four-course vegetarian menu:
Celery carpaccio, shiitake, mixed seeds, pomegranate dressing
Aubergine, courgette velouté, confit tomatoes
Artichokes risotto, truffle, candied lemon
Quince three ways
Thursday, 12th December
67 Pall Mall Verbier
14:00 Walk-Around Tasting
18:00 Vertical Tasting
19:00 Wine Pairing Dinner
22:30 Events end