I missed World Marselan Day. It was two days ago, on April 27. But perhaps you missed it too? It would be easy to see how it could happen. This might be one of the more obscure wine days on the calendar. But don’t fret– although wine days give us an excuse to drink a glass on that particular day (and maybe post a hashtag on social), it really is about raising awareness of a varietal, and in this case, trying something new. And really you can do that any day of the year!

Happy Earth Day! Each year, around April 22, people around the world take the day (or week, or month) to recognize, reflect, and hopefully do a small something for the environment. At K&L, that of course got us thinking about wine. And why not? At its heart, winemaking is intrinsically tied to the land, and there are some pretty exciting ways that winemakers and vintners do their part (not just in April, but all year round). I’m sure you’ve heard buzz words like ‘biodynamic,’ ‘organic’ and ‘sustainable,’ but with so many terms, it’s easy to get lost - and how do you determine what’s important for you? In honor of Earth Day today, I thought it would be good opportunity to clarify the differences.

Perhaps this isn’t an obvious comparison to your wine-producing United States of America, but hear me out. As a nation, strong thirst and a stronger currency mean that Switzerland consumes more than twice as much wine as it can produce itself. The vast majority of wine production is consumed domestically, just like in the USA. But with an Old World sensibility, prized terroirs in populated areas of Switzerland mean that if you live in a pricey condo on the sunny bank of Lake Geneva, there might be two rows of Chasselas vines squeezed between you and the bakery next door. So you’re wondering why I taunt you with tales of wines you rarely see back home?