Out & About in Switzerland: Drinking to your health in Jenins

There'll be tastings and much talk about wine at the symposium. Bünderweine

Some of the vintners in Graubünden's Rhine Valley have decided to take a different approach to celebrating the grape harvest this year. The village of Jenins is preparing to host its first-ever "Wine Symposium" from September 27 to 29.

The organisers of the symposium want to take a page from the book of the ancient Greeks. There’ll be music, song and spirited debate to accompany the meals and fine local wines. The Pinot Noir variety is the specialty of the region.

The first two evenings are dedicated to the themes; “The Business of Wine” and “Wine and Health”, with speakers addressing such issues as the future of the industry, and the positive and negative consequences of wine consumption.

The third evening, “Wine and Art” will showcase the talents of local musicians, painters, sculptors and writers.

An autumn festival will follow the festival in Jenins on September 30 and October 1. The good grape will again be the star of the event. Vintners will open up their cellars to the public and offer tastings, and there’ll be a festival market with stands selling local products.

The Rhine Valley region is the warmest part of German-speaking Switzerland and counts up to 2,000 hours of sunshine a year. Celtic tribes were the first to produce wine in the area about 2,000 years ago.

An evening at the wine symposium costs SFr95 and includes dinner and wine tasting. Knowledge of German is essential.

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Out & About in Switzerland is updated regularly to keep you informed of upcoming events, which may provide a different insight into the country and its people.