Henrique Duro Texeira Rua and Jose Antonio Lopes Gomes, both of whom have worked as seasonal employees at the ««isblaatere» and the Golf- & Sporthotel Hof Maran for almost 30 years, have a secret passion: producing the notorious Iva schnapps, a liqueur made with the essences of musk yarrow (Achillea moschata). Iva is the Romansh name for musk yarrow, the main ingredient of the herbal liqueur.
Although common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) blooms in large quantities right next to the ««isblaatere», the two men go to the steep, very impassable area below the Weisshorn every July and August to harvest the rare Achillea moschata variety. This variety is much smaller and grows on rocky debris, often near glaciers, between 1,700 and 3,200 meters. For Iva production, the flowers, leaves, and sometimes the roots are collected.
The best Iva quality is achieved when the plants are picked in the late afternoon.
After cleaning, the harvested plants are placed in schnapps with an alcohol content of 37.5% and left in the sun for several weeks. The heat allows the yarrow to develop its spicy fragrance and the bitter substances typical of Iva, making Iva a healthy, local digestif. Water and sugar are then continuously added until the Iva has the typical bittersweet taste. Finally, the herbal liqueur is bottled by hand.
As early as the 18th century, the Bernese natural scientist Albrecht von Haller reported on the medicinal effects of the Iva plant: the mountain dwellers would use the essence against indigestion, bloating, and abdominal pain. As an alcoholic beverage, the schnapps has been known since at least 1782. At that time, a Graubünden pastor reported that a spiritual, pleasant liqueur has been prepared from this plant in Graubünden for many years.
Our tip: Try our homemade Iva at the ««isblaatere» after a cheese fondue or as an accompaniment to espresso. The ««isblaatere» is open daily.
The oldest vines in Malans have been in the Anjan Boner family for several generations. They are already 70 years old. It was clear to Anjan early on that he wanted to become a winemaker. After his apprenticeship, he studied oenology and pomology at Klosterneuburg in Austria. In addition to viticulture, he is also very familiar with various fruit brandies. Although he wrote his diploma thesis on the art of distilling, he is currently mainly dedicated to viticulture.
The first vintage in 2007 of the Anjan Boner winery consisted of an annual production of 1,200 bottles of Blauburgunder Auslese. Meanwhile, his range consists of ten different wines and a wine production volume of over 19,000 bottles on 3.1 hectares of vineyard area. Anjan's wine range is very diverse: Freisamer, Riesling Silvaner, Weissburgunder, Chardonnay, a Rosé sparkling wine and five different Blauburgunder (Classic, Auslese, Barrique, Umami and Federweiss). The rare Freisamer variety is, in addition to the Burgundy varieties, the trademark of the winery. The 1,400 bottles are always sold out in no time. Anjan is in the process of expanding the vineyard area to 0.46 hectares. «There are only about 6 hectares of it worldwide. So maybe we are the largest Freisamer farm on the planet.»
The Boner family is characterized by an innovative team of two generations working hand in hand. Mother Tina and father Ambrosi support Anjan wherever they can. This allows the three to run the business entirely without external help. Contact with private customers is particularly important to them – but also with restaurateurs and sommeliers: «After all, they are the ones who pour my wine.» These include prominent addresses. In the «Casa Caminada», for example, the Boner-Weissburgunder from the magnum is served by the glass. It can easily happen that a restaurateur, who actually only wanted to pick up his delivery from the Boner family's garage, finds himself hours later in stimulating conversations and coffee schnapps in the Boner family's kitchen …
Anjan is currently launching a superlative wine with his Pinot Noir «Umami»: 100% Mariafeld clone, 100% new wood. «This puts us in a league with Donatsch, Studach, Gantenbein & Co.» There are only 587 bottles in total. On the front sides of the wooden boxes, an artist designs a large-format picture of the Boner family. Anyone who buys a bottle also acquires a puzzle piece of the unique painting.
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As a result of a vineyard zone expansion in the Bündner Herrschaft in 1999, Jann Marugg had the opportunity to build his own winery. His vineyards are located in the «Fläscher Feld» between Fläsch and Maienfeld, as well as in the «Halde» at the foot of the Fläscher Berg. Five grape varieties grow on an area of approximately 2.6 hectares.
Jann Marugg has been producing his wines in the middle of the village of Fläsch, in the former Torkel of his father Daniel Marugg. Since the original cellar no longer met today's requirements and offered too little space to press the wines, Jann Marugg completely rebuilt the cellar in the summer of 2010. The Sauvignon Blanc and Weissburgunder mature in steel tanks, the classic Pinot Noir in large wooden barrels combined with steel tanks. The Pinot Noir Reserve, Chardonnay and Syrah mature in oak barrels for over a year before being bottled. Jann Marugg produces around 15,000 bottles of wine per year.
Jann Marugg's top priority is to produce high-quality wines. For this purpose, the vineyard is planted with a high number of vines, which means that the individual vines are not too heavily burdened. Through consistent yield regulation, Jann Marugg thus obtains high-quality grapes. The vineyard area is cultivated according to the guidelines of «Vinatura».
The wine labels, which were designed by the young Fläsch artist Fiona Tischhauser, are particularly eye-catching. The faces on the respective labels impressively reflect the peculiarity of the wine in the chosen color combination and in the character traits.
The Zündel family's winery is located high above Ponte Tresa, between Lago di Lugano and Lago Maggiore.
When the natural scientist Christian Zündel came to Ticino in the 1970s, viticulture in southern Switzerland could be described as «fallow land». The quality expectations of many producers were still far behind today's standards. Not so with Zündel. As a soil scientist, he already had the best prerequisites and was so consistently committed to working in the vineyard. For him, vinification is not to be neglected, but secondary, and anyone who knows something about viticulture knows that good or excellent wines are created in the vineyard and not in the cellar. Zündel consequently felt committed to organic, later bio-dynamic cultivation. Since 2019, the Zündel winery has even been Demeter-certified. Today, organic farming is part of good form in the wine world.
New generation with new ideas Myra Zündel, Christian's daughter, has followed in big footsteps, but has quickly established herself in the world of viticulture. This is certainly also thanks to her open, curious and self-confident nature. She shares her father's passion for near-natural cultivation and minimal intervention in the production process.
Myra's new white wine «Erbaluce», a grape variety from the nearby Piedmont, comes with a wonderful (salty) minerality, aromas of grapefruit, lime, jasmine and notes of lime and chalk. With this, in addition to the «Orrizonte» created by her father and known beyond the borders of the country, she has set a first exclamation mark. We are excited about the next projects of the Zündel family.
Behind the Duroc meat products is a regional community of three farmers and a meat producer. The Schätti family (SG), Ueli Tanner (AR), Ruedi Huber (AI) and Gustav Spiess AG in Berneck. The transport routes from rearing to slaughter and also the distribution take place in a small space. This means that the concept fits perfectly with our philosophy of regionality. But also the quality standards in rearing, processing and sensory meet our high standards.
The breed
Today's Duroc pig breed comes from the USA and is a cross between various red-haired pig breeds. The breed standard was already established in 1885. The large-framed Duroc pig is monochrome and has a light red to reddish-brown color. Another characteristic is the small floppy ears. Occasionally you can also find small, black pigment spots in this breed. The fast-growing, stress-resistant Duroc pigs are characterized by their good-natured nature and their healthy constitution. They are very robust and can also be kept outside at low temperatures. Their pigmented skin protects them from sunburn in strong sunlight – making them ideal for free-range farming. Duroc sows give a lot of milk and have the best maternal qualities.
The meat is evenly interspersed with fine veins of fat. This high proportion of intramuscular fat makes it extremely juicy and tender. A pleasure of the highest class.
In 1984, Urs Hecht took over his father Fritz's mobile distillery. This is how he discovered his calling. Soon, a new building for the distillery and sales was built at Grasweg 26 in Gunzwil, Lucerne. The next milestone followed in 2008 with the construction of a wooden hall with a distillery, fruit storage, and aging hall.
The distillery is a true family business. Urs Hecht, his wife Theres, and their three children, along with motivated employees, work together to distill brandies that have won gold medals. With discipline and dedication, Urs Hecht has reached the top with his distillates, both nationally and internationally. He relentlessly strives for the «Quintaesencia», the art of distilling in its purest form. Nature is his role model. His special love belongs to the standard fruit trees that have grown over generations. The fruits of these trees form the perfect basis for top-class fruit brandies. Respect for the resources of nature and people is a matter of course for Urs Hecht.
The aging cellar: Seven meters below the ground, constant temperatures guarantee the balanced maturation of the brandies. The barrels are masterpieces of cooperage, made from oak and cherry wood. The master's experience and intuition are crucial for the perfect harmony of his distillates. He decides when the fruit distillates are bottled from the barrels. Magical moments.
Exquisite fruits from regional farms, grown on healthy standard fruit trees, are the basic prerequisite for the lived sustainability and success of the Urs Hecht Distillery. During the harvest season, the scent of ripe fruits is captivating. During work in the distillery, the scent of the distillates is intoxicating.
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Every night between 3 and 4 a.m., the bells ring on Alp Maran. That's when Thomas and Andrea Kofler from South Tyrol, with their two daughters, bring the cows into the barn for milking. For us, it's an idyllic experience. We can turn over and continue sleeping soundly. However, for the Koflers, who bring the cows from the pasture into the barn a total of twice a day and night throughout the summer, milk them, and then return them to one of the many pastures on Maran and in the surrounding area in a fixed cycle, depending on the state of the vegetation, it means strenuous «shift work». In addition, there is the burden of responsibility for the approximately 60 cows that are sent to Arosa for their «summer vacation» by various farmers from the region. But it's a beautiful job, says Thomas Kofler. Meanwhile, he can sleep well and is no longer so worried about the safety of the cows, he adds.
Anyone who meets the Koflers on one of the pastures can feel their passion for their responsible task during a chat. The two daughters, Hanna and Lina, are also completely absorbed in their job and can tell a lot about the individual pastures as well as about the names and characteristics of the cows.
It all started at a 50th birthday party. A few friends from Aargau, all family fathers, were looking for an original gift for their comrade's 50th birthday. Since it should be something special, they decided on a joint sausage seminar with a local butcher. During a subsequent two-day moped trip, the bold idea arose that they had now acquired the new knowledge to make sausages themselves. Preferably without flavor enhancers and preservatives – family-friendly, of course. And so they started their first attempts in the moped garage. They tested a few things – it should be exclusive and the ingredients should come from their own garden. They tried the first sausages with their own quail eggs, ventured into truffles and crazy combinations of dried plums and Vieille Prune. The family always served as a test object. Some things were well received, many things less so… The sausage with marjoram flavor was particularly popular with the kids as «pizza sausage», but was then voted out by the adults. Slowly, the recipe was created, which our guests have been enjoying on the isblaatere for some time now. A Huuswurscht made from pork, neck fat – which is much higher quality than the belly fat usually used, onions, leeks, eggs, spices and – how could it be otherwise with the hobby gourmets – Rosé wine (Oeil de Perdrix). On the isblaatere, we offer the Huuswurscht with smoked salt as well as with chili – for the spicy Huuswurscht, the fiery nightshade plants initially came from our own garden, but now the large quantity is purchased regionally. All Huuswürschte are turned and weighed by hand.
The special thing: Apart from the family table of the hobby gourmets, the sausages are only available on the isblaatere worldwide.
25-year-old Patrik Germann is a farmer with heart and soul. Growing up as a farmer's son, he knows what is important and helped out everywhere at a young age, whether in the barn or on the pasture.
In 2018, Patrik made a strategic and therefore groundbreaking decision for him. He converted his own farm from dairy farming to vegetable cultivation. And rather untypically for a farmer, he went out and tried to sell his products to hotels and restaurants in the region in a classic «door-to-door manner». He now serves around 32 hotels, two restaurants and over 200 private customers with two of his own vehicles. Fruit and vegetables come either from his own farm or from six other farmers in the region, with a total of over 200 hectares of agricultural land.
We became aware of «GePa» through the rich assortment of berries. The quality convinced us from the start. Through the regional cooperation and the short transport routes, «GePa» guarantees us optimal freshness and a significantly longer shelf life than suppliers from the wholesale trade. In this way, we not only promote regional trade, but also do something against food waste.
In the southernmost tip of the Grisons, on the «Lago di Poschiavo», more precisely, in the village of Cantone, is where he is at home: the native of Puschlav and ETH agronomist, organic and herb farmer, and breeder of noble Berber horses Elmo Zanetti. Together with his family, he lives there, on the border with Valtellina.
Together, the family members cultivate over 30 tea herbs and flowering plants on the sunny slopes and in the fertile Val Poschiavo. These ingredients are gently dried, stripped, mixed and packaged in the company – so the added value remains in the valley.
Wait and drink tea: What could be better than a delicious cup of tea in the morning? Try the versatile varieties from Val Poschiavo and feel the warmth of Southern Grisons.
Apple mint, lady's mantle and pink cornflowers
Reminiscent of a woman whose art still touches and fascinates today. A tea for all strong women, but can also be drunk by men.
Various mountain herbs, edelweiss, and red cornflowers
A classic that almost always works.
Next time you drive from Chur over or through the San Bernardino, you should definitely take the exit to Andeer. In this small Grisons mountain village, you'll find not only the mineral spring with its bath and the church in the middle of the village, but also the Sennerei (dairy farm). In one building, people sing praises to the Lord, and in the other, to the raw milk cheese made by Maria Meyer and Floh Bienerth. It even tempts the pastor... The numerous national and international awards speak for the round loaves of cheese made by the two cheesemakers.
This Floh, who packs the circle of life into the cheese, is a special person. For a long time, he tended cows and goats in the Grisons Alps, processing their milk into fine cheese. In the Alpine world, he reflected on life in general and in particular, learning a lot about the rhythm of the cows and the weather, about his own limits and how to break them. He has been packing this circle of life into his loaves of cheese ever since. And we, who buy the cheese at the Sennerei Andeer, feel this roundness, this love for life, for nature, and for cheese.
«Preserving instead of growing is our basic philosophy, and if you decide to preserve, the system stays as it is, or it even gets better», philosophizes Floh Bienerth. Floh and his wife Maria Meyer have a great desire to create added value with their products.
If you think this is just banal marketing blah, you really have to take the exit to Andeer or, even more conveniently, order a cheese platter with your dinner at Hof Maran – with a little luck, one or the other «Möckli» cheese from Maria and Floh will be on it. Ask our staff about it.
Fläsch, the smallest of the four wine-growing communities in the Grisons Herrschaft, is considered a gem among wine connoisseurs and is home to several renowned and well-known winemakers. Located on the right bank of the Rhine, the village at the foot of the Fläscherberg and below the St. Luzisteig is wonderfully embedded in the stately landscape. The wine-growing village lives from and with wine – a cultural asset that connects people.
The Thomas and Edith Marugg family has been running their winery for three generations. Originally focused on mixed agriculture with livestock farming, arable farming, and viticulture, they completely switched to self-vinification in the 1980s. Thomas Marugg took over the winery back in 1997. Together with his family, he cultivates five hectares of well-kept vineyards in prime locations and vinifies varietal and characterful wines and specialties.
«The foundation for great wines is laid by the terroir, which itself is influenced by numerous factors: night and day temperatures, amount of precipitation, hours of sunshine, slope inclination, and soil conditions. As a divine blessing, the foehn wind, also called «grape cooker», completes the natural work. We treat this gift of nature with respect and therefore cultivate our vineyards in a consciously nature-friendly manner. This is the only way we can preserve a fertile and livable earth for future generations.
However, the terroir alone is not enough to produce an exceptional wine characterized by quality and unforgettable drinking pleasure. It also takes a portion of tradition for the tried and tested craft, but also a pinch of innovative spirit for the cellar technical possibilities. The challenge is the careful aging of the wines in order to make the authentic and varietal character of the grape varieties palpable and tangible. In our architecturally designed barrique cellar, the wines mature in mystical tranquility towards their completion – a cellar whisper of a special kind. Experience this fascinating ambience with all your senses – preferably with a delicious glass of wine.»
Glatsch is Romansh for ice cream. With this name, the two ice cream makers Heike Schulze and Holger Schmidt from Surava have been emphasizing their regional origin since 2013. And the name says it all. Mainly local ingredients are processed. The organic milk is supplied by the farmer Andri Devonas from his own village and the cream comes from the nearby Puracenter in Lenzerheide. With the fruits, a consistently high quality is crucial for the taste. Therefore, regional fruits are used wherever possible – for example, highly ripe organic strawberries from Tomils.
But not only the products contribute to the high quality of the various Glatsch Balnot ice cream varieties. In contrast to the industrial production of ice cream, much less air is incorporated in the manual production. This leads to a significantly finer and creamier consistency. The success proves the two ice cream makers right. From the small village in the Ela Nature Park, they now supply many restaurants from the Engadine to Zurich.
Tip: Try our wonderfully refreshing, slightly sour and even healthy sea buckthorn sorbet (lactose- and gluten-free, vegan). A «palate refresher» after a sumptuous dinner.
When smoke signals rise behind the hotel, it means our head chef Cyrill Pflugi is at it again. As a chef, he has worked internationally and learned «The Art of Smoking» directly from the masters at one of his stations in Scotland.
How do you make smoked salmon?
After being slaughtered in Scotland, the salmon are transported to Switzerland via the shortest route and delivered to Arosa by the fishmonger. After filleting, the salmon sides are marinated for around 48 hours in a secret marinade consisting of 13 ingredients, known only to the head chef and the management. However, marinating is only half the battle.
Smoking salmon is an art and requires a lot of patience and finesse. Too much heat during smoking produces bitter substances and, in the worst case, even cooks the fish fillets. Both are undesirable. The smoked salmon should have a mild taste, with sweet smoky notes and a firm bite. This refinement also makes the salmon last longer. The fat content of the fish has an influence on the shelf life – the higher the fat content, the shorter the shelf life. We recommend our guests enjoy our home-smoked, Scottish «Label Rouge» salmon within one week.
Did you know?
Scottish farmed salmon was the first non-French product and the first fish ever to receive the «Label Rouge» seal of approval in 1992. This award guarantees high quality. The criteria for breeding are very strict, limit stocking densities and guarantee complete traceability from the salmon farm to the retailer. Great emphasis is also placed on animal welfare and environmental protection.
In her dissertation (1997) at the University of Bern on the subject of «Development of animal-friendly quail farming», Imelda Schmid not only laid the foundation for the guidelines for quail farming, but also for its future. Until then, only the breeding and keeping of laying hens was regulated. For the small quails, however, traditional battery farming was not animal-friendly enough. In 1998, the biologist with a doctorate put her knowledge into practice and gradually built up a quail farm in S-chanf in the Upper Engadine. Today she combines her hobby, recumbent cycling, with her profession and delivers the eggs to regional customers – completely CO2-neutral – by bike.
The smallest representatives of the Galliformes family are quails. There are around 40 different species of them worldwide. Around 22 species are kept as ornamental birds. Only the Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, has been domesticated. The wild form is a migratory bird that is widespread in the regions of the Russian Federation east of Lake Baikal, in China, Korea, Japan, Manchuria and Mongolia.
The nutrient composition of quail eggs is very similar to that of chicken eggs. The high content of B vitamins as well as iron and zinc is valuable. Eggs are generally considered a high-quality food, especially in vegetarian diets. In principle, quail eggs can be used like chicken eggs. Hard-boiled, peeled and halved, they enrich and beautify salads, hors d’oeuvre platters or sandwiches, for example. Thanks to their pretty and variable patterns, they are also very suitable as edible table decorations when hard-boiled. Quail fried eggs, e.g. on toast or in a cress nest, are not only a feast for the eyes, but also taste excellent.
For the makers of Wegelin wines, quality is undoubtedly the top priority. Their knowledge of the special characteristics of the various sites such as Scadena, Weisstorkel, Bothmarhalde, Spiger and Frassa drives them on and on. Anyone who has the opportunity to taste the different single-vineyard wines side by side should definitely try it out. The wines do not present themselves as a «uniform blend», but show character and the peculiarities of the corresponding terroirs.
The most characterful wines come from the Scadena vineyard. The winery also refers to the site as «our heart». Two different rockslides pushed sandy limestone, phyllite, dark limestone and clay slate into the vineyard. This produces wines that appear very compact and elegant, with a juicy tannin structure. Anyone who knows a little about wines knows that the structure of the tannins is fundamental to the quality of wines and has little influence on the longevity of the wines, but much more on the need for storage. Good things take time, and so you should allow a few years before enjoying the Scadena wines.
The old wisdom that good and outstanding wines are created in the vineyard and not in the cellar is impressively confirmed at Wegelin. It corresponds to the philosophy of the winemakers to give the wines time and to influence the natural processes as little as possible. They use almost exclusively wild yeasts, only a little sulphur and no other additives. This involves a certain risk and requires a great deal of knowledge about the fermentation and maturation processes. However, the effort is worth it. This is how characterful wines are created that make you want a second glass. What more could we want?
Text: Patricia Mariani for Agricultura, the magazine of the Small Farmers Association
Animal husbandry dominates mountain agriculture today. Could more plant-based foods also be grown in the Alpine region? The example of the Gran Alpin cooperative in Graubünden shows what is possible. For centuries, the cultivation of grain shaped the landscape of many parts of the Alps and Pre-Alps. The mountain farmers of the time used strong and tough types of grain that could withstand the long and cold winters – rye, for example, grows up to 2,000 m above sea level. M. It was only agricultural mechanisation and specialisation that meant that arable farming almost completely shifted to the Swiss Central Plateau for reasons of efficiency. As a result, a great deal of knowledge about mountain arable farming, but also the great variety of robust types of grain, has been lost. This not only impoverished part of the cultural and culinary heritage of the Alps, but also biodiversity. What is understood today as site-adapted agriculture, namely the specialisation in livestock farming in mountain areas, is therefore a relatively recent phenomenon from a historical perspective.
Old tradition on the rise
However, it's not just nostalgia and ecological reasons that speak for reviving the old tradition of mountain agriculture. "Arable farming reduces the dangers of farmers in the mountains relying solely on livestock farming," explains Maria Egenolf, Managing Director of the Gran Alpin cooperative. "A diverse approach to farming also enables better fertilizer management in mountain agriculture, leading to more sustainable care of fields and meadows." The Gran Alpin cooperative was founded in 1987 by a group of farmers in Graubünden in Tiefencastel with the aim of revitalizing mountain agriculture in the canton and marketing its products more professionally. From the outset, the cooperative committed itself to organic farming. Pesticides have been prohibited since its foundation, and in 1996 the official switch to the Bio Suisse bud principle took place. "The proportion of organic farming is generally high in Graubünden, which made the clear orientation easier," says Maria Egenolf. In 2021, a total of 110 farms supplied Gran Alpin, producing around 700 tons of organic mountain grain together. Each year, 10 to 15 new farms are added. "Last year, we had to limit the amount of rye because there was a lack of sales. We are currently looking for producers for brewing and food barley, buckwheat, and spelt. However, growth is currently being slowed down more by processing for most crops," she explains.
Strong regional added value and anchoring
A logical consequence: The decades-long decline in grain cultivation in the mountain region went hand in hand with the closure of most mills. Currently, Gran Alpin uses two processing plants in Bergell and Puschlav. Spelt, emmer, and corn, on the other hand, are ground in the canton of Glarus. In the early 2000s, the major distributor Coop became a major customer for wheat and rolled barley, selling the products made from them under the Pro-Montagna label. The Locher brewery in Appenzell, which brews Gran Alpin beer from Graubünden organic brewing barley, also became an important customer. Cooperation with large partners is helpful for making the leap out of the niche. Nevertheless, Maria Egenolf is proud that one of the most important sales channels is still sales in Graubünden itself. Over 100 Graubünden village and farm shops, as well as various bakeries, restaurants, and hotels throughout the canton, sell or process Gran Alpin's flours, grains, or flakes. Farmers from various Graubünden valleys sit on the board of Gran Alpin, which facilitates direct contact with the base. But also at a higher level, i.e. with the cantonal authorities, with agricultural training and advice, the cooperation works well. "We had the support of the Plantahof in Landquart from the beginning, which was enormously important for the development of Gran Alpin," Maria Egenolf concludes.
Intensive livestock farming as an obstacle
Despite the professional distribution network and practical support, not every mountain farmer wants to grow grain, even if the topographical conditions are right. "In recent years, many farms in the mountain region have also focused on intensifying livestock farming and, for example, built larger stables. High-performance breeds need enough feed, and in organic farming, most of this must come from the farm itself, which means that all available land is needed for the livestock," she explains. Last year, Gran Alpin published a comparative calculation showing that it is still financially worthwhile to keep one less cow and instead grow one hectare of mountain grain. However, not only the individual farm benefits, but also the added value in the entire region. An exciting approach that also has potential in other mountain cantons, especially in view of the discussion about climate targets. However, there is only sporadic exchange with other cantons. For example, with the canton of Valais, where rye cultivation has also been increasing again since 2004 thanks to the AOC certification of Valais rye bread. Are there any political hurdles in the way of mountain agriculture? Since the last agricultural reform 14/17, they have felt largely supported by national agricultural policy. This promotes mountain agriculture, among other things, with landscape quality contributions. The farmers at Gran Alpin, on the other hand, would like more support from research. "Mountain grain varieties are neglected in classic plant breeding. There is still great potential there," says Maria Egenolf. They are therefore still dependent on the personal commitment of individual farmers who invest time in seed propagation, or the renowned grain researcher Peer Schilperoord. The latter played a major role in the development of the Gran Alpin cooperative and is still involved in various projects in the new development of varieties today. The example of Gran Alpin shows that there is still a lot of potential in the mountain region in addition to livestock farming. However, a prerequisite for such a project is that everyone pulls together: producers, processors, businesses, authorities, and also politics. Livestock farming will always have an important place in the mountain region, which is undisputed from an ecological point of view. But here, too, more diversity points the way to the future.
The "Turkish corn," as Ribelmais was also called in the Rhine Valley, is experiencing a true resurrection. It is assumed that the people of the Rhine Valley imported the grain from Turkey in the 17th/18th century – hence the expression.
During this time, Ribelmais was the staple food in the Rhine Valley. The cultivated areas extended over several thousand hectares. The warm and humid climate favored the cultivation of the robust crop, in contrast to other types of grain such as wheat.
Globalization and the associated import of cheap corn from distant countries almost brought the cultivation of corn in the Rhine Valley to a standstill. Only four hectares were cultivated in the 1990s.
In 1998, the "Verein Rheintaler Ribelmais" was founded as an interprofessional organization. With this, all actors along the value chain committed themselves to intensive cooperation – with the aim of producing a high-quality food, from cultivation to processing. "Rheintaler Ribelmais AOP" was the second product to be included in the national register of protected designations of origin in Switzerland in 2000.
Meanwhile, around 90 hectares are cultivated by around 40 producers. With the renaissance of this crop, old customs such as "Hülsche" are now also being revived. People meet in the villages for the joint harvesting and preparation of the cobs, the "Hülsche". "Hülsche" is the Swiss German term for removing the husk.
The coarse-grained cereal is very popular with our guests. Ribelmais, for example, is a wonderful accompaniment to lamb.
Admittedly, the "Domaine Bouvet-Jabloir" in Auvernier is not that regional. But the Pinot creates an elegant connection between the Bündner Herrschaft and French-speaking Switzerland with its countless growing areas. And anyone who gets to know the wines of the two brothers Alexandre and Dimitri Colomb no longer cares about any designations of origin. And anyone who says Swiss wines are expensive should compare the Pinots and Chardonnays from Bouvet-Jabloir with great Burgundies – that's a price-performance ratio!
We got to know the wines from Auvernier over the Chardonnay "Signature" with sushi with raw whitefish from Lake Neuchâtel – what a heavenly combination. At the latest at this point, it became very "tranquille" at the table in the small sushi bar in the middle of the old town of Neuchâtel. Such a successful wine-and-food pairing simply leaves you speechless. The visit to the tasting cellar in Auvernier with Dimitri Colomb, a graduate of the École hôtelière Lausanne and sommelier, did the rest. The flying visit turned into an extensive tasting, which ended in the "chauffeur" who was unfit to drive having to be replaced.
But what's the point of rambling on at length about the wines of Dimitri and Alexandre? You have to try them yourself. That's why the wines are on our menu.
Our insider tip: The Chasselas "Légende" and the Maraner Alpkäsefondue go perfectly together. The "Gutedel" shows how elegant even the seemingly simplest wines can be. The interplay between the salty-floral aromas shaped by the calcareous Jura soils is an exciting expression of the terroir. Only good winemakers bring the terroir into the glass.
A Bouvet-Jabloir is a plane that was specially developed for the manual production of oak barrels.
What an experience it was when we set out to find a new coffee roaster a few years ago. At a large gastronomy fair, our management team and I signed up for around ten different coffee tastings with just as many producers. Luckily, we found what we were looking for. The day ended for everyone with hands damp and trembling from excessive "caffeine consumption."
Georg Steiner, who learned the "Coffee Business" from the ground up and is based in the canton of Graubünden, won us over from the first second. His caffè "Don George" is roasted with great care. But the refinement of the beans from various exotic growing countries can only succeed if the natural raw material is of the highest quality. In this regard, caffè Don George has always been very selective and can perfectly utilize international relationships. Caffè Don George goes one step further, not only producing and selling high-quality coffee, but also taking care of the optimal adjustment of the coffee machines directly on our premises. A local company that is still passionate about what they do and aware of how important the end consumers are.
About ten years ago, we decided to switch from an international beer group to an independent family business from St. Gallen. To this day, we have not regretted the change to Brauerei Schützengarten. With the conscious renunciation of accelerated brewing processes, the use of the latest technology, and the courage to embrace new beer trends, the brewers from Eastern Switzerland achieve high quality standards and often capture the spirit of the times. It is not without reason that they regularly win international competitions with their beers.
In 2014, Schützengarten was awarded the Slow Brewing seal of approval for these consistent efforts – as the first and so far only brewery in Switzerland. The Slow Brewing Institute only awards the prize to companies that brew slowly and gently using the purest natural raw materials. In addition, the award-winning companies must act fairly and consciously throughout the entire value chain. Slow Brewing is considered the toughest seal of approval in the highly competitive beer market.
For us, Brauerei Schützengarten is the typical Swiss expression of tradition paired with innovation. It fits perfectly into our concept of "Regional Heroes". For years, they have been brewing the "Hof Maran Huusbier" for us, a wonderfully palatable, cellar-fresh beer. Unfiltered, it comes with slightly sweet malt aromas. Our beer lovers always mention exciting honey notes.
In the family cheese dairy, we make various cheeses from raw milk, and on the rolling meadows, we breed the Omoso young cattle.
Every morning and every evening, the farmers from the surrounding farms bring their cows' milk to the cheese dairy. We process this milk fresh into raw milk cheeses. From hard to soft, from blue to red to white, and from shy to wild, there is something for everyone.
With a handful of farmers, we breed our young cattle. Our animals all live outside, receive Swiss feed from our own farm, and grow up in mother cow husbandry. We do not use antibiotics or hormones.
The Reichmuth family has been breeding trout, salmon trout, and char in Sattel in the canton of Schwyz in the second generation since 1984. The high demand for local fish has enabled the Reichmuths to continuously expand the business.
If the char is moved too often from tank to tank during breeding, it goes on a hunger strike. Although this has no impact on the quality of the meat, and char are naturally accustomed to hunger, growth stagnates during this period. This is more of a disadvantage for a breeding farm. In contrast to salmon and trout, the char must be carefully nurtured and cared for.
For us, the char from Reichmuths, bred in fresh mountain spring water and raised with 95% vegetarian raw materials, are of very high quality. The increasingly dwindling fish stocks in Swiss lakes also speak in favor of local breeding.
Who doesn't know the scent when the "Marroni sellers" set up their stands in the streets again in autumn and winter. Chestnuts and marroni are simply part of the cold season. But what actually makes the difference? While the larger marroni usually only have one fruit, the somewhat smaller chestnuts usually hide two to three fruits under their shell with the soft spines. In the southern valleys of Graubünden and in Ticino, chestnuts used to be the main food. Due to their natural starch, they are very healthy and nutritious.
Our partners from «Bio-Garten Schanfigg» harvest the sweet chestnuts by hand in the chestnut forests of Bergell. Afterwards, the sweet, floury fruits are dried in smoke for four to five weeks in an elaborate procedure. The loss of liquid and the smoking process preserve the chestnuts, allowing them to be stored in a dry place for two years without any problems.
Sweet chestnuts are very versatile in the kitchen, and the flour obtained from them is used in gnocchi, bread, pasta, etc. Vegans should definitely get to know these carbohydrate-rich sweet chestnuts.
In our kitchen, we mainly use the dried chestnuts to make a creamy soup with a wonderful sweetness and lovely smoky notes. A hearty classic.
Anyone who talks to the winemaker Silas Hörler quickly realizes that he knows what he wants and can communicate it. Originally trained as a chef, he has already experienced a great deal at the age of 32 and is involved in many different things at the same time.
As the best in his year, he completed his apprenticeship as a winemaker, went on his travels to Australia, more precisely to Tasmania, and shortly after his return to Switzerland, he was able to take over the position as cellar master at Davaz in the Bündner Herrschaft. A demanding task, as the winery produces various wines – also for other well-known wine brands (such as von Salis). At the same time, Silas Hörler has built up a brand running under his name, cultivates various plots, has his own farm with meat production (Wagyu and Angus cattle) and also manages the largest Bündner winery, «Schloss Salenegg».
Silas Hörler's wines are as unconventional as he is and have long had a large fan base. Would you like an example? He puts the Pinot Noir grapes from the «Kalkofen» vineyard, with its slate soils and low yield, whole with the stems into the fermentation tanks. After around two thirds of the fermentation time, Martina, Silas' wife, steps barefoot into the tanks, stamping and gently crushing the grapes in the traditional way. He regularly stirs the grapes using the classic «Bâtonnage» method. After gentle pressing, the juice is filled into French barriques, where it undergoes a second fermentation. This procedure makes the wines very atypical for «Herrschäftler Weine». Unlike the «Herrschäftler» with their more red-berry character, the «Kalkofen» wines are characterized by black-berry notes with aromas of cinnamon, pepper and cloves. As unusual and exciting as the producer.
Silas and Martina Hörler, Fläsch, +41 (0)78 739 91 03
hoerlerweine.ch
Anyone who knows as much as our head chef Cyrill Pflugi can find exciting plants and mushrooms everywhere that can be used in the kitchen. In summer and autumn, he regularly visits the surrounding forests and alpine meadows. What he finds is preserved, dried, fermented or cooked directly. Unfortunately, this old craft of preservation is increasingly being lost. It is often forgotten that not only can the shelf life be extended, but also the nutrients can be retained with gentle processing. The porcini mushrooms, for example, are gently dried and thus retain their white color, in contrast to commercially available mushrooms, which turn completely brown. Anyone who is regularly out and about in nature and has a good eye for the often hidden delicacies also knows where to find what and where the best spots are.
What you can find with us in the mountains: yarrow, alpine chives, mountain thyme, porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, horn of plenty, wild strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, sea buckthorn, etc.
Anyone traveling over the San Bernardino through the Misox into Ticino will inevitably pass the large and modern wooden building of «Swiss Lachs». Swiss Alpine Fish AG breeds salmon in fresh mountain water in an indoor recirculation system, free of chemicals, antibiotics and microplastics. The modern breeding facility allows for resource-saving water consumption. Only 2% of fresh water is added to the cycle. A biogas plant is operated with the filter residues from the production. The result is fresh, healthy salmon that does not harm the environment or the ecosystems.
In the beginning there was the idea and the desire to make the oh-so-dirty world a little cleaner – and not just symbolically. A soap as natural as the beautiful surroundings of Arosa, free from any additives and other unnecessary ballast. The soap maker Beat Urech – at home in Arosa, at home in the world – understands something about the miracle process of soap making, because as a trained druggist he was familiar with glycerine, alkalis and essential oils very early on. The result is genuine Arosa natural soaps – for body, hands, hair and soul.
As a sustainably minded family man, yoga teacher and nature lover, the shower gels, shampoos and liquid soaps available in supermarkets – packed with chemical additives and fragrances – had long been a thorn in Beat's side. Is there a clean solution that cleans? Research eventually led Beat to the now deceased Friedrich Weiss, who lived in Vienna at the time and was a soap maker of the old guard. His Stadlauer Seifenmanufaktur was a secret tip among soap connoisseurs throughout Europe. So infected by the soap fever, the first bucket of original Arosa soap was soon stirred.
Sina Caflisch and Roman Nicolay run a large organic sheep farm with around 100 breeding ewes in Maladers. Together, they have built up a direct sales business for lamb and personally supply the Schanfigg region. However, a sheep farm produces more than just lamb; there are also older sheep that need to be slaughtered. The meat from these animals is used to make Salsiz, Mostbröckli, boiling and frying sausages, as well as minced meat. Sina Caflisch processes the sheep's wool into felt and uses it to create handcrafted products.
When Sina and Roman are not in the pasture, the two llamas, Winnetou and Sem, keep an eye on things. The proximity to the village and a hiking trail that runs through the pastures do not allow the use of herd protection dogs. The advantage of using llamas is that they do not need to be fed and require the same food as the sheep: grass, water, and mineral salt.
In 1994, Andrea Davaz and two friends founded von Salis AG. The company has grown steadily in recent years and sources grapes from 60 winegrowers with over 50 hectares of cultivated land. This makes von Salis the largest winemaker in Grisons.
A good wine results from the interplay of climate, soil, and the optimal selection of grape varieties – adapted to the conditions. However, for von Salis, not only the terroir plays an important role, but also the people who cultivate the vineyards. They are the ones who can understand and appreciate the terroir and thus get the best out of the natural conditions and create a «value of enjoyment».
Our tip: The Malanser Pinot Blanc (available on tap) impresses with its fine minerality, freshness, and citrus notes. A wonderful wine that makes you want a second glass.
The winemaker Philipp Grendelmeier is something of a jack-of-all-trades and yet very clear in his ideas. He became known primarily for his exotic fruit juices and jams. He grows gooseberries, rhubarb, elderberries, quinces, plums, peaches, and strawberries. The macroclimate in Zizers in the Chur Rhine Valley even allows the optimal ripening of kiwis and mandarins.
In the vineyard, Philipp Grendelmeier consistently follows ecological principles. He only uses organic fertilizers where necessary and completely avoids herbicides. His approach to packaging his products is also rather unusual. Wherever possible, he chooses recyclable packaging and containers. For him, the careful handling of nature is not just lip service, but a matter of course.
Our tip: The «Dus Alvs» is a white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes. Year after year, Philipp Grendelmeier manages to bring the typical aroma notes of the varieties to the point.
Like many Grisons winemakers, Irene Grünenfelder also relies on organic viticulture and thus creates terroir-focused wines on the Eichholz estate in Jenins. Just as we want it – no international uniformity. She is not a winemaker in the xth generation and has built up her own winery on her in-laws' land with tenacity and love for wine. Meanwhile, her son and successor Johannes supports her, and her daughter advises her.
Our tip: In a «Maran-internal» blind tasting, the Pinot Noir «Eichholz» was able to easily beat other, better-known Pinots. The Eichholz, aged in barriques, is a smooth and powerful Pinot for special occasions.
Hanspeter and Rahel Margreth are deeply rooted in Schanfigg. Together with their three children, they run an organic dairy farm in Langwies. Around two-thirds of their alpine pastures are located between 1,900 and 2,200 meters above sea level, precisely where the most flavorful herbs grow. The Margreths store the approximately 850kg of cheese produced annually in an old Walser house in Fondei. In winter, Hanspeter retrieves the cheese from the mountain with touring skis and a bicycle trailer with skis, carrying up to 12 wheels at a time. Somehow, we are reminded of Schellen-Ursli's stories.
Every two years, Rahel and Hanspeter Margreth go to the high plateau «Bördter» above Langwies to make hay. The small hay bales, gained with much sweat from the extensively used area, are lowered to the valley via an 850-meter-long rope. Anyone who tries the alpine herb tea or mountain hay syrup made from it knows why the two young farmers put in so much effort.
By the way: You can find the organic salsiz from Rahel and Hanspeter Margreth on our menu.
In 1951, Ernst Lampert, the father of today's winemaker Hanspeter Lampert, took over the mixed agricultural business from his father. Within 30 years, the Lamperts completely switched to viticulture and continuously expanded the cultivation areas and the winery. The stony and calcareous soils of the vineyard are ideal for growing Burgundy varieties. The stone walls surrounding the vineyards even help heat-loving varieties such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen.
Our tip: Lampert's Pinot Noir Jubiläum is grown on the oldest vineyard sites on deep limestone soils, and the yields are correspondingly small. This makes the wines all the more exciting. They are characterized by an expressive complexity. Intense and unusually dark for a Pinot.
Hanspeter Lampert
What does it mean to you to give nature space in the vineyard and cellar?
Giving nature space in the vineyard means to us consistent, species-rich permanent greening, renouncing herbicides and insecticides, breaking up the monoculture with hedges, wild perennials and trees, and promoting the bird population, etc. In the cellar, it means renouncing fining measures. We give the wines time until they are ready and prefer fermentation with the grapes' own yeasts instead of pure yeasts whenever possible. Less is more.
What makes a good Pinot Noir for you? What should be considered when growing and vinifying the Pinot Noir grape?
Good Pinot Noirs are playful, elegant, highly complex and delicately fruity growths. Very prone to errors in the vineyard and cellar. Pinot Noir needs warm, but not too warm, vineyards. Calcareous and light soils and cool nights during ripening. From that point of view, Graubünden is predestined for Pinot. For sophisticated wines, the yield must be significantly reduced in most years. The time of ripening is the most important thing with Pinot, not too early and definitely not too late, otherwise the elegance suffers and the filigree wines get too much alcohol.
You also grow international grape varieties such as Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. What is the reason for this?
Maienfeld has very stony soils. With every tillage, some of these chunks are brought to the surface. Over the centuries, these stones have been used to wall in the vineyards. Along the walls and hedges, it is too warm for Pinot, which is why Syrah and Cabernet were planted. These thrive magnificently. We have Merlot from a very small plot that is too hot for Burgundy varieties.
If you were to rebuild your winery from the beginning, is there anything you would do differently?
We would dimension the wooden barrel cellar larger from the beginning. It has been at its limit for some time now, so the barriques are now everywhere in the wine cellar. As a matter of principle, all our red wines go into wood for at least a year, which consumes an enormous amount of space.
The best start to the day begins with a wonderful breakfast. And good eggs are simply part of it. Hans-Andrea Patt from Castiel – one of the last villages in the municipality of Arosa – supplies us weekly with wonderful eggs – as nature created them. One large, one small, one light, one dark, and all tasty. The stress-free husbandry, free of chemical-synthetic additives, combined with daily exercise, the laying hens thank with high-quality and healthy eggs.
Depending on the wind, you can even smell the fine cheese wafts at Hof Maran. The delivery routes couldn't be shorter. We collect Alpine cheese, soft cheese, and cream cheese, yogurt, and the wonderfully fatty Alpine butter ourselves with a handcart – completely CO2-neutral.
The Sennerei belongs to the Burgergemeinde Chur and obtains milk partly via a «pipeline» from the four Maran, Prätsch, Sattel and Carmenna alpine pastures. Hundreds of herbs, lush meadows, wonderful air and crystal-clear water make the milk, cheese and butter so particularly tasty and healthy. Incidentally, Alpine cheese is only produced in summer when the cows are on vacation on the Alps.
Anyone driving to Arosa by car will inevitably pass by the Sprechers' farm. Anyone who visits them will quickly see and feel what the mountain farming couple is mainly concerned with: the relationship with the animals. Natural animal husbandry and stress-free on-site slaughter are important to them. Local processing and direct sales not only create a personal relationship with the customer, but also give Sprechers the certainty of being able to deliver meat of excellent quality. In the winter months, they also produce raw sausages and dried meat specialties using tried and tested methods. Their traditional professions, she a cook and he a butcher, are very helpful to them.
Bio Natura Beef comes from ten-month-old calves that graze on the alpine pastures in summer and are only fed milk and hay in the free-range barn in winter – completely without growth-promoting additives. The calves stay with their mother until slaughter.
Annatina Pelizzatti has been connected to viticulture since she was a child and today cultivates four hectares of vines. Her idiosyncratic wines undoubtedly bear a clear signature and are not simply mainstream. The red wines impress with their elegance and spiciness. The white wines are fresh and have a pleasant, but
present acidity.
Our insider tip: For a few years now, Annatina Pelizzatti has been making an assemblage of Pinot Noir, Syrah and Merlot in small wooden barrels. The «Sorso» is a complex wine with an individual spice and notes of dark fruits.
The Gut Plandaditsch winery and distillery has been owned by the Lauber family since 1928. Grandfather Ernst Lauber, an active fruit grower and winemaker, was one of the first to focus on the white wine specialties Pinot Gris and Freisamer. Today, the Laubers cultivate various grape varieties on four hectares and press six white and three red wines.
Our insider tip: The «Pinot Gris Lauber» has always been one of the best Pinot Gris in the region for us. Laubers manage to give the wine a lot of substance and body and a beautiful sweet-sour play. For us, an atypically elegant Pinot Gris.
Anyone who knows Markus Stäger knows that he is not a man of many words. He prefers to let his wines speak for themselves – and they do so with all their might. With his family, Markus Stäger cultivates the vineyards in harmony with nature. With due respect for the terroir conditions such as soil, climate and weather, they create wines typical of the site. And all of this by hand – both in the vineyard and in the cellar.
Our insider tip: With «S88», Markus Stäger has created an exciting dessert wine with flowery, fruity aromas and a beautiful acidity. S88, by the way, refers to the breeding number of the Scheurebe, a cross between the Riesling and Bukettraube grapes bred in 1916.
Because the cultivation of standard potato varieties was not profitable in the mountains, Marcel and Sabina Heinrich Tschalèr began in 2003 to grow ProSpecieRara varieties at an altitude of over 1’000 metres. Then, in 2005, after the first significant yield, they invited people to the big Patati farm festival. The top chef at the time, Freddy Christandl, happened to be in the valley and heard about it. He went there, ate – and drove home with a few sacks of these crazy potatoes. He was thrilled, and his guests at the restaurant, whom he cooked for with the mountain potatoes, were delighted.
Soon, however, the quantities of potatoes at the Las Sorts organic farm were greater than the demand from customers in the region. Marcel Heinrich therefore looked for ways to bring this unique product to the plates of interested chefs and potato lovers throughout Switzerland.
When Freddy Christandl heard about it, it was also clear to him that this delicacy deserved more than ending up in the commercially available, uniform potato mash. He had just become self-employed and combined his passion for cooking with training as a flavour coach. Without further ado, he bought part of their harvest from the Heinrichs. In the first few years, the tubers came from the Las Sorts organic farm to Freddy's garage in Schindellegi in a livestock trailer and from there to the customers in his private car.
The farmer and the chef decided to work together from then on. Together, they continuously developed the Bergkartoffeln project from the Albula Valley step by step. Thanks to his contacts in the cooking scene, Freddy quickly found customers throughout Switzerland – not least because, with his culinary knowledge, he was naturally also able to convince demanding top chefs.
Today, the mountain potatoes from the Albula Valley are an innovative project, far removed from the mainstream and technical processes. Marcel and Sabina Heinrich Tschalèr can concentrate fully on cultivation. Freddy Christandl ensures that the tubers reach plates throughout Switzerland – sustainably and fairly. Because: fair prices for farmers are also an important foundation for excellent products and innovations in Switzerland.
In order to preserve the old varieties and the knowledge of mountain agriculture for future generations, the two of them, together with Patrick Honauer and many top chefs and experts, founded the Kartoffelakademie (Potato Academy) and were also able to set up a support fund for this purpose, which can now also be supported with a voluntary donation.
Marcel and Sabina Heinrich Tschalèr, Freddy Christandl (from left to right)
Photo: Tina Sturzenegger
The former chef Freddy Christandl has made a name for himself in Switzerland as a flavour coach with his expertise and (life) experience. In 2005, he discovered the mountain potatoes from Marcel and Sabina Heinrich Tschalèr in the Albula Valley. The particularly aromatic varieties never let him go – he is also now dedicating himself to the Kartoffelakademie (Potato Academy) with passion. It is about exchanging specialist knowledge between producers, chefs and consumers.
The focus of this academy is on the following:
Variety preservation: «When it comes to variety preservation, connoisseurs, agronomists and chefs do not always have the same
interests», says Christandl.
The craft is also central: It takes an incredible amount of know-how to produce old varieties organically in the mountains.
Cooking technique: Furthermore, it is about teaching cooking techniques, because mountain potatoes have a different cell structure and therefore cooking properties and satiety levels change.
