Salgesch (Salquenen to local French speakers) is a Swiss wine appellation of eastern Valais. It is centered around the village of the same name on the right bank of the upper Rhone, directly on the dividing line between the central and eastern sections of the Valais. Between Leuk and Sierre the Rhone river changes course from due west to south-west, altering the aspect of the valley and its slopes. Salgesch and its neighbor Varen are right at the apex of this change and are subsequently blessed with a very sunny, south-eastern exposure. Because of their location overlooking both arms of the valley, the vines here have sunshine available to them for a much greater proportion of the day and are able to reach higher levels of ripeness during the growing season.
© Wikimedia/Berger
The white varieties which might be found in a Salgesch vineyard are Chasselas, Chardonnay, Sylvaner (known here as Johannisberg), Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Their red counterparts – Pinot Noir, Gamay, Cornalin, Humagne Rouge and Syrah – are increasingly widespread, as is the case across Switzerland. (© All rights reserved, Wine-Searcher.)
The Swiss wine industry lacked a formalized appellation system until the late 1980s, but now a comprehensive structure is in place. In the nation's three official languages, the classification is variously entitled Appellation d'Origine Controlle (AOC), Geographische Ursprungbezeichnung (GUB) and Denominazione d'Origine Controllata (DOC). More than 650 appellations now cover the villages and vineyards of Switzerland, of which Salgesch is one. As Switzerland continues to pursue and develop export markets for its wines, Swiss wine from appellations like Salgesch will become more readily available and more widely recognized.
