Introducing the 12 Wines of Swissmas 2015

We’re all plenty familiar with the “12 Days of Christmas,” the traditional folk song and all its hilarious puns and the rest of the drawn out season of libation, err, I mean celebration.

It’s no secret much consumption occurs during the December holiday season and whether your enjoyment of it is more as an ease of the headaches and thin nerves the shopping stress and inundation of family time has given you, or the pure bliss of a fantastic meal or celebratory toast, wine pours to the rescue.

Plenty of strong expert opinions of which wines to drink, when and because of pushes by big-name media endorsements exist during this season, but often our best memories of wines we’ve shared are those that are special because of the memories we create around them with the family and friends we share them with.  But don’t be afraid to tell Uncle Charlie when his bargain bottle from a clearance rack just doesn’t fit the occasion.

We at Swiss Cellars have reminisced in advance of the season back to our family and friends’ gatherings over the years and will offer our staff suggestions of our favorites on Twitter @SwissCellars and right here and also, where you can find them, counting down to Christmas Day with…hmmm…let’s be fun and say our 12 Wines of “Swiss-mas” for 2015.

The first wine of Swissmas was actually one of the first wines Swiss Cellars founder Laurent Crolla brought to the United States.   The Switzerland-borne Crolla began importing wines to the U.S. in 2002 and selling in mid-2003 after his graduate business degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison turned him loose into a difficult job market looking for telecommunications work.  The pressure that popped his cork was when his telecom recruiter suggested that perhaps it was that people here in the U.S. didn’t prefer to hire European workers in such a field.

Little did anyone know that a sour taste in his mouth on a job hunt would lead him to offering the U.S. wine market its largest assortment of Swiss wine offerings it’s ever seen.  Swiss Cellars was born when Crolla focused a bit more back home on family friends in the grape growing and wine making industries that were experiencing difficulty in growing into markets such as Zurich back home, and furthermore, across the pond in the U.S. market.  Crolla offered to explore this opportunity part time and soon found himself fully engaged in importing a dozen Swiss wines into the U.S.

Sales grew and local customers began to fill the shelves with some of the rare and new offerings Crolla brought them.  12+ years later, Swiss Cellars founder Crolla suggests trying one of his original debuts into the U.S.:

Cave de la Côte – Chasselas Romand

Swiss Wine: Chasselas Romand from Cave de la Cote.  A unique holiday wine selection.  Imported by Swiss Cellars

Select vineyards in Romandie, Western Switzerland, in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva grow the Chasselas for this wine. The Chasselas grape is a traditional and uniquely Swiss varietal.  A well balanced wine from a very respected local wine co-op in Crolla’s native Switzerland.

The bouquet presents floral, peach and lemon-blossom while being fresh and round on the palate.  Nearly a dry white yet with a subtle touch of sweetness akin to pineapple.  Try Chasselas Romand with your family and friends this holiday season as an aperitif or soft white courses such as fish and light cheeses.

Average Retail Price: $16-$21, ABV: 12.5%

Chasselas Romand can be found at retailers in Wisconsin listed below or at for it at your local wine purchase location as it is available for shipping to many other U.S. states as well.

Find it now at: Steve’s (University Ave), Cork N Bottle, Steve’s (West Side) all in Madison, Alp & Dell or Maple Leaf Cheese in Monroe, Ray’s Liquor, Discount Liquor, Braise Restaurant and The Hartland Inn in the Milwaukee area, Cujak’s Wine Market in Fond du Lac, Keyport Liquor of Superior, or The New Glarus Hotel, Cambridge Cooler or Stoughton Spirits.

Visit www.swisscellars.com or follow and message us on Twitter or Instagram @SwissCellars for more information, updates and where to buy or find our wines.