Pierre Veya, Le Temps, new managing editor
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Le Temps, the main serious newspaper in French-speaking Switzerland, has named one of its own, Pierre Veya, editor-in-chief, after a three-month industry-wide search. Veya replaces Jean-Jacque Roth, who has held the post since 2002. Roth in February became head of a joint television-radio news team at Radio Television Suisse Romande (RTSR), created in January by the merger of public television and radio in the region.
Veya, age 49,will take up the new position 1 May 2010.
Veya received a graduate degree in business in Delémont, Switzerland, after which he worked at L’Impartial, covering the Jura and cantonal news. In 1989 he joined Swiss news magazine L’Hebdo, where he was responsible for the economy section.
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch and sources) – Aging and probably ailing North Korean leader Kim Jong Il surprised the world by reportedly naming his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, 26, as the new leader of North Korea, according to South Korean media, who cite the South’s spy agency. Kim Jong Un spent much of his youth at the International School of Bern in Switzerland where he was learned English, French and German, and he was known to be shy, a fan of basketball and action sports. Even if the rumours of his succession are true, it could be years before he steps into the job.
Ed. note: Swiss news magazine and GL partner l’Hebdo 19 March 2009 carried a lengthy feature on the boy known in Bern as Chol Pak: Kim Jong Il.
This is the third and last of three articles that together make up the English version of a feature published 2 April 2009 by Swiss news weekly L’Hebdo magazine on expatriates in the Lake Geneva region. GenevaLunch, a partner of l’Hebdo brings you the English version.
French version © 2009 l’Hebdo
English version © 2009 GenevaLunch (may not be reproduced in part or whole without written permission.)
[Part 3, continued] By Julie Zaugg and Mehdi Atmani
How did Switzerland become a nation of expats?
French-speaking Switzerland has an attractive infrastructure, with an international airport at the edge of Geneve, efficient public transport, good hospitals and top universities that are at the front lines of research and serve as conduits for interesting technology transfers,” says Blaise Matthey, director of the Fédération des entreprise romandes (French-speaking business federation).
This is the second of three articles that together make up the English version of a feature published 2 April 2009 by Swiss news weekly L’Hebdo magazine on expatriates in the Lake Geneva region. GenevaLunch, a partner of l’Hebdo brings you the English version.
French version © 2009 l’Hebdo
English version © 2009 GenevaLunch (may not be reproduced in part or whole without written permission.
[Part 2, continued] By Julie Zaugg and Mehdi Atmani In Geneva alone there are 65,000 expats, of whom 40,000 are international organization employees and their families. Philip Morris in Lausanne employs 180 of them, Japan Tobacco International, also in Lausanne 157, Procter & Gamble in Geneva 500 and Nestlé in Vevey 584.
Where do they come from?
Americans were still the majority of expats just a few years ago, but they’ve given way to Europeans, with the Schengen Area and the free movement of people as the impetus. Read more…
Swiss news weekly L’Hebdo magazine 2 April publishes a feature article on expatriates in the Lake Geneva region. GenevaLunch, a partner of l’Hebdo brings you the English version in three parts.
French version © 2009 l’Hebdo
English version © 2009 GenevaLunch (may not be reproduced in part or whole without written permission.
By Julie Zaugg and Mehdi Atmani
They have their own schools, media and even neighbourhoods where they live. But who are these expatriates? Spotlight on this comfortably well-off and discreet community that lives side by side with the Swiss, without really mixing with them.
The Expats are among us
”Bonjour, hello – can I help you?” smiles the saleswoman in a children’s clothing shop. At the Chavannes-de-Bogis shopping centre English is ever-present, from the supermarket checkout to the self-service restaurant. Sometimes a word or two of German surfaces, or Swedish or Hindi. Not surprsing: we’re in the middle of a stretch that runs from Versoix to Nyon, which houses the largest concentration of expats in Switzerland.
Little is known about this population, despite the large number of these workers who come to Switzerland for several years, sent by companies and international organizations. L’Hebdo takes a closer look.
How many of them are there?
There are no precise figures for this population because expats melt into the group of holders of B permits, renewable residence permits for non-European Union members. But there are an estimated 100,000 in French-speaking Switzerland – nearly the same size as the population of Lausanne. In Geneva alone there are 65,000 expats, some 40,000 of whom work for international organizations, with their families.
GenevaLunch will continue the article Friday afternoon 3 April.
l’Hebdo and GenevaLunch present Switzerland’s top wines with tasting notes, adapted in English from articles that appeared in the 13 November print version of l’Hebdo, Switzerland’s leading news magazine in French. The magazine ran a major story on the winners of the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, which is Switzerland’s main wine competition, open to all producers in the country.
Discover Switzerland’s winning wines, all 66 of them, in our four-part series, 25 November-2 December. The wines are listed in the Swiss Wine Guide, published November 2008.
- part 1
- Original French version of part of the text, in l’Hebdo
- l’Hebdo’s web site
- Grand Prix du Vin Suisse site
English texts: GenevaLunch
Part 2, other white wines – Riesling-Sylvaner, White blends, Other white varieties, Sweet whites
Note to readers 28 November: due to unexpected problems from a poorly functioning wifi coupled with the flu, this series will be completed in the next 2-3 days. Take your time, sip your wine, and come back soon for more!
RIESLING-SYLVANERRimuss & Weinkellerei Rahm
8215 Hallau, Dickistrasse 1
+41 52 687 3737, post@rimuss.ch
Siblinger Riesling-SylvanerGVS Schachenmann AG
8207 Schaffhouse, Gennersbrunnerstrasse 61
+41 52 631 1800, weine@gvs.ch
Riesling-Sylvaner FlaeschWeingut Davaz, Andreas Davaz
7306 Flaesch
+41 81 302 1710, info@davaz-wein.ch
Schachenmann AG
8207 Schaffhouse, Gennersbrunnerstrasse 61
+41 52 631 1800, weine@gvs.ch
Nutmeg and floral, typical Mueller-Thurgau notes, for the nose, but with hints of fruit and fruitpits. In mouth: great body and a clearly present bubbliness. While it is aromatic, at the same time there are woody notes that, added to the fragrances found by the nose, create a very pleasant mix. Best drunk before 2011.
Weingut Saxer
8537, Nussbaumen, Stammheinerstrasse 9
Zweifel & Co., AG, Urs Zweifel
+41 44 344 2211, info@zweifelweine.ch
This is an atypical Mueller-Thurgau, with a nose that is predominantly floral, where magnolia and elderberry flower come together. On the palate, this comes together for a pleasant and well-balanced ensemble. The lovely vinosity does not prevent the wine from sliding down the throat nicely, elegantly. Best drunk before 2010.
l’Hebdo and GenevaLunch present Switzerland’s top wines with tasting notes, adapted in English from articles that appeared in the 13 November print version of l’Hebdo, Switzerland’s leading news magazine in French. The magazine ran a major story on the winners of the Grand Prix du Vin Suisse, which is Switzerland’s main wine competition, open to all producers in the country.
Discover Switzerland’s winning wines, all 66 of them, in our four-part series, 25-28 November. Wednesday: other whites. Thursday: rosé, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Friday: other reds and an interview.
- Original French version of part of the text, in l’Hebdo
- l’Hebdo’s web site
- Grand Prix du Vin Suisse site
English texts: GenevaLunch
Click on images to view larger.
Salgesch, Valais, November 2008
By Marie Maurisse
1,900 wines tasted, 120 judges, and in the end only 66 bottles selected, each one exceptional.
The wealth of Switzerland’s vineyards might seem inexhaustible, but how do you
go about choosing among the thousands of bottles available? To give us some help, Vinea and the wine magazine Vinum recently organized a Swiss wine competition on a scale grander than any before: 1,900 wines entered, 120 professional judges tasting them. In the end, 66 wines were selected as the best, all of them exceptional bottles, vintage 2007 unless otherwise noted
We introduce you to them here with tasting notes by Barbara Meier-Dittus of Vinum, and Emeline Zufferey, author of the French texts for the Swiss Wine Guide, in bookstores and at kiosks 24 November 2008.
The secrets behind the selections
How many wines were tasted?
The tastings took place in Sierre, Valais, in June, with the same system that was used in 2007: there was no pre-selection and all the wines registered were tasted. In 2008, 460 producers from all of Switzerland participated, for a total of 1,900 wines. Elisabeth Pasquier, managing director of Vinea, which organizes the event in partnership with the European wine review, Vinum, says “The Grand Prix reflects the wonderful diversity of the Swiss winemaking landscape. We’ve had wines from every corner of Switzerland entered,” she notes. “But the two wines we received the most of were Chasselas and Pinot Noir, which is representative of what is grown in Switzerland.”
With participation voluntary, some of the best-known winemakers, such as Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, did not take part.
Who were the judges?
Most of the judges were professional oenologists or sommeliers, but the group also included a few wine journalists and a small number of people who are simply passionate about wine. Foreigners were also invited by the organizing committee that selected the 120 judges.
How were marks given?
Each wine was tasted blind by 5 people who were instructed to give it marks, or points, out of a possible 100. The marks were not a matter of chance or personal taste: the judges must follow the precise criteria laid out by the OIV (International Organization of Vine and Wine), such as the intensity of the nose and how long the wine is on the palate. The final tally is the average of the five scores.
What are the categories?
These are 11 groups of wines ranging from white Chasselas to white blends to rosés and red varieties. For each category the judges selected six finalists, all of whom figure in the tasting notes to follow here. They then narrowed these down to three winners for each category.
And the special prizes?
There are three: the Vinissimo prize goes to the wine with the highest overall score, the Bio Suisse prize is given to the biodynamic production wine which gains the most points and the prize for Winemaker of the Year goes to the winery which has the most wines which figure among the winners.
The 2008 winner of the coveted Winemaker of the Year award is Madeleine Gay, oenologist at Provins in Sion.
The Swiss Wine Guide
Vinea brings together the annual wine competition and the publication of the Swiss Wine Guide (Le Guide des vins suisses in French). The book features all the gold and silver winners of the Grand Prix competition but also lists several hundred of the country’s best wine producers.
And for the first time, the book has been produced in English
(Ed. note: Ellen Wallace, editor of GenevaLunch, was responsible for the team that produced the English version).
CHASSELASAntoine & Christophe Bétrisey
1958 Saint-Léonard, rue du Château 12
+41 27 203 11 26, info@betrisey-vins.ch
Yvorne Grand Cru Château La Maison BlancheMaison Blanche SA
1180 Rolle, place de la Gare 7
+41 21 822 02 02, vente@schenk-wine.ch
Dézaley Grand Cru L’Ermite Pascal Fonjallaz-Spicher
1098 Epesses, La Place
+41 21 799 37 56, pascal.fonjallaz@urbanet.ch
Cave du Consul, Laurent & Nicolas Martin
1166 Perroy, Grand-Rue 39
+41 21 825 2801, caveduconsul@bluewin.ch
Fruit dominates the nose with floral touches and a hint of yeast. In the mouth it’s fresh, with the attack deliciously underlined by a slight bubbliness. Overall very pleasant and with good balance on the palate. A great success for this cellar in the middle of the La Côte area in the Lake Geneva region. Best drunk before 2011.
Cave La Cornalle, Philippe Rouge
1098 Epesses, chemin de la Bastioule
+41 21 799 4122, info@rouge-vins.ch
Domaine des Faverges, Gérald Vallélian & Zvan Régamey
Yet again, and forever more: Lavaux with its Saint Saphorin whose nose is dominated by an appetising fruitiness rounded out by a mineral touch with a breath of bergamot and floral whisps. In the mouth this has good freshness, while being rounded with good structure. It has an interesting persistant aroma. Best drunk before 2010.
Lausanne, Switzerland (l’Hebdo, Fre) - L’Hebdo news magazine this week carries an analysis of the financial crisis and how it is affecting Switzerland: the political world, long “lethargic,” is slowly waking up to a ticking time-bomb.
