” Geneva vineyards: evolution and prospects “
Dardagny, November 2012
It’s interesting to note that when we travel around Europe, or even further afield, and mention our Geneva origins, the majority of people we meet either know or have heard of Geneva. This is not due to its vineyards or local produce, but rather to the fact that it is the headquarters of international organizations. The Swiss themselves often perceive Geneva as a city (UN, jet d’eau, car show) and are often surprised to discover its countryside and vineyards, which account for over 45% of the canton’s surface area.
In fact, our vineyards are virtually invisible when you cross the canton on the freeway. Many tourists pass through Geneva without seeing it! Situated at the western tip of the Lake Geneva basin, the Geneva Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) currently covers 1,400 hectares, including 140 in the border zone. On a national scale, it is the 3rd largest wine-growing canton, after Valais and Vaud (Swiss vineyards cover 15,000 ha). It is divided into three regions: the right bank of the Rhône, Entre Arve et Rhône and Entre Arve et Lac, at altitudes ranging from 350 to 500 meters. Most of the vineyards are on gently sloping land, but there are some steeply sloping hillsides (up to 50%) on the banks of the Rhône or in Lully (commune of Bernex).
Although the evolution of Geneva’s vineyards has been rather rapid since the 1980s, let’s take a quick look back over the past few centuries to get a better idea of them. Vines were present in the region long before the arrival of the Romans (grape seeds were discovered in prehistoric caves on the Salève), but real written records mentioning the regulations governing vine growing and wine date back to the 2nd century B.C. These laws evolved and persisted throughout the Middle Ages, and vine growing became increasingly important (for the same surface area, a vineyard yields at least 5 times more than a field of wheat).
Vines were a cultural complement, wine consumption was important and, before the Reformation (1536), it was also a question of supplying the clergy with good wines. One explanation put forward by some for Geneva’s tradition of selling wine in bulk, which lasted until the mid-twentieth century, is that during the Reformation, Catholic farmer-vinegrowers were forced to leave and were replaced by Protestants, often of French origin, who were merchants rather than winegrowers, and who therefore favored this route.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the vineyard covered 2,500 ha: there was no competition, wine was sold in town and also served as a currency of exchange. Vines were grown in masses (high planting density, without alignment) or in hutins (vine plants grown on trees 5-6 meters above the ground. They bordered agricultural fields). However, the situation changed significantly in the 19th century:
- A number of intellectuals took an interest in the cultivation of vines, notably Charles Jean Marc Lullin, who published a treatise in 1820 proposing a different choice of grape varieties, changes in planting by aligning vines and soil amendments.
- The arrival of the railroads, which brought in wines from the south of France, often better and cheaper. A big shock for Geneva’s wine industry.
- Emergence of hitherto unknown diseases and parasites: powdery mildew (1850), phylloxera (1869) and downy mildew (1896).
The vineyard area was reduced to 800 ha by 1918. The economic situation was in turmoil, and it was at this time that Vin Union, a cooperative winery, was set up, covering 80% of Geneva’s vineyards. Savoian (mondeuse), guais and roussette are replaced by chasselas, which becomes the majority variety. It was accompanied by a few hybrids, then gamay and pinot noir, which gradually replaced these direct producers. From the Second World War onwards, the vineyards became part of a productivist trend to supply the needs of the population. Indigenous white wine was strongly protected, consumed locally or sold to neighboring cantons. The situation of winegrowers improved, mechanization intensified and farms specialized in vines, gradually abandoning livestock.
So, despite Geneva’s strong vine-growing tradition, the quality approach is struggling to take hold! But everything changed in 1982, when Chasselas production in Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland exploded, and a few years later, the Geneva cooperative cellar imploded. At that time, the Cave Coopérative was the only contact with the government and the only image of the vineyard and its wines outside the canton. At the same time, the winegrowers, some of whom had already recognized the need to regulate the harvest in order to produce higher-quality wines, took their future in hand and made great strides forward. Geneva’s Chasselas grape has little economic value, and winegrowers who sell part of their harvest themselves are trying to innovate by planting new grape varieties for the region. In this way, they hope to perpetuate their wineries by turning resolutely towards higher-quality production.
As a result, the organization and structure of the vineyard underwent considerable change: a large number of winegrowers left the cooperative to set up their own wineries, existing winegrowers became more established, new cellaring structures were set up and the cooperative became a public limited company which buys the harvest from its suppliers. It currently handles 1/3 of the vineyard.
Other factors reinforce this dynamic:
- The climate is generally influenced by the neighboring mountains (Jura, Vuache, Mont Sion, Salève and Voirons), which often repel clouds coming from the west into Savoie and the Pays de Gex. On the other hand, in calm weather or with a light breeze, the mountains block the fogs over the canton. Since 1980, however, the average temperature has risen by 0.55Cº, enabling the planting of new grape varieties.
- Grape varieties: as previously mentioned, the majority of grape varieties planted were Chasselas, with some Aligoté, Gamay and Pinot Noir. Today, there are 80 grape varieties planted in the canton. Admittedly, some are present in very small quantities, but this demonstrates the “thirst” of winegrowers at the end of the 80s to breathe new life into their vineyards. In 1986, the Federal Research Station Changins (ACW) created the gamaret (gamay x reichensteiner). This grape variety, well adapted to Geneva’s vineyards, made it possible to produce slightly more “modern” wines, with a beautiful purplish color; this precocious grape variety, vinified pure or in blends, in vats or in barrels, was also a driving force in winning back Geneva’s consumers. In fact, flexible cantonal legislation on the introduction of new grape varieties enabled innovative winemakers to be creative and dynamic.
- In 1988, Geneva’s vineyards were given a system of Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) (a first in Switzerland), comprising regional and communal AOCs and 23 AOC 1er Cru delimited on a map. These AOCs also take into account yields and minimum soundings (Brix).
- Collaboration between the cantonal viticultural station and the winegrowers also led to significant improvements in the quality of the wines produced. The cantonal oenologist at the time, Claude Desbaillet, urged growers to improve the phenolic maturity of Gamay grapes in particular. As a result, the cantonal viticultural station began monitoring the phenolic ripeness of red grapes on a parcel-by-parcel basis as early as the 2000 vintage. Grapes taken from different grape varieties are analyzed using the ITV extraction method, and at the same time, vinification trials are carried out to provide relevant information on harvest dates, starting in 2007.
- The gradual lifting of customs barriers to foreign wine imports since 1992 has also been a major factor in boosting Geneva’s (and indeed Switzerland’s) vineyards. In the face of increasing competition, we must continue to exist!
- Last but not least, the proximity of a relatively large city (192,385 inhabitants in the city and 468,194 in the canton) is an asset that can’t be ignored, as long as the population consumes the wines of its wine-growing region! In the 90s, a new kind of interaction began to emerge, with gourmet restaurants springing up all over the canton. Young chefs and their sommeliers (often not from the region and therefore with no preconceptions about Geneva wines) were discovering the specialties of certain winemakers and putting them on their menus. This promotion of the region’s vintages has had a huge impact on the public image of Geneva wines. They gradually became aware of the metamorphosis of Geneva wines, and began to visit the vineyards located 15 km from the city center.
Geneva’s 240 winegrowers, with an average of 6 hectares per vineyard, have recently acquired invaluable working tools that offer them interesting prospects. A working group of winegrowers and representatives of the Department of Agriculture (Stratégie viticole 2002 and 2006) has set up a number of projects. One of these is the creation of a wine, l’Esprit de Genève, to serve as an ambassador for Geneva’s vineyards. Currently, 19 producers are making this wine, respecting the charter and collaborating in working and approval tastings, all under the aegis of cantonal oenologist Alexandre de Montmollin. This emulation of independent producers, with their own specificities, but united to promote Gamay and Gamaret together and give a strong image to Geneva’s vineyards, while preserving their authenticity, offers winegrowers great prospects.
Another very important project is the study of Geneva’s wine-growing terroirs, which has been underway for 8 years in close collaboration with Changins University of Applied Sciences. A pedological study, followed by a climatic study, have enabled us to map the viticultural soils of the canton, the grape varieties by plot, and the main climatic maps. Much of this information has been digitized on GeoVit (the State of Geneva’s website), making it accessible to growers. This is one more tool that will enable us to establish a repository of major soil types, understand their potential for growing vines, and help us make decisions regarding the choice of grape variety and rootstock. It can also help explain and define the typical characteristics of wines produced in different soils/climates.
To make the most of all this information, a guide will shortly be published: “Guide pour l’implantation d’une parcelle et choix de cépage : vers une utilisation des études de terroirs”. In 2012, two new working groups were set up (Horizon 2020), enabling us to put developments since 2002 into perspective and set new objectives for the years ahead. In addition to the technical aspect, our challenge is also to consolidate the link with consumers. Even if, as elsewhere in Europe, the new generations no longer have many links with the land (unlike previous generations, who still had grandparents in rural areas), our proximity to the people of Geneva is a strength. Direct sales are possible, as are exchanges and discussions with consumers. It’s up to us to raise awareness and communicate again and again, as we did 25 years ago with the Caves Ouvertes day in May. It’s been a huge success, attracting thousands of visitors to the vineyards.
In this vein, the strengthening of the Office de Promotion des Produits Agricoles Genevois (OPAGE), with the appearance in 2001 of the common signature “Les Vins de Genève”, is an important milestone. Finally, the various entities have succeeded in organizing themselves to promote local vintages. In 2009, the AOC regulations were amended, moving from regional appellations d’origines contrôlées to a cantonal AOC that could be supplemented by a communal indication. A sign that winegrowers are “daring” to put Geneva back on their labels. Sometimes, the difficulty lies in reconciling the very romantic image that the public may have of wine, vines and agriculture, with a reality that is our own, as well as the constraints of the field (diseases, climate, costs…). The challenges are therefore omnipresent, the prospects multiple, but wine will remain a product of a strong interaction between the soil, the climate, the winemaker…and its consumers!