Wine Hunting in Geneva, What's Vin Chaud, and a Unicorn Swiss Producer

Author

Super Vino Bros
March 12, 2025

Hey guys!

I’m spending the next few weeks in Switzerland and France for some skiing, vineyard visits, and wine fairs. This week, I’m in Val Thorens, a resort in the Les 3 Vallées region of the French Alps. With that in mind, this week’s newsletter is dedicated to all things Alpine wine 🏔️

This week’s topics: Wine shopping in Switzerland, Vin Chaud, and a Swiss producer you should definitely know about! Hope you enjoy 🍇

A Wine Run in Geneva🇨🇭 

We needed some bottles for the Alps week and so we did a little shopping

A ski week isn’t just about hitting the slopes, it’s about everything that happens before and after. In my humble opinion, no mountain trip is complete without a solid wine haul.

Unfortunately, Val Thorens doesn’t offer many options when it comes to wine stores. Since we had to fly into Geneva to catch a bus to the mountain, my friends and I decided to make a quick stopover in town to grab some wine for the week. After a bit of research, I discovered a fantastic shop in the city center called Nino.

Pictured: Nino in Geneva

They had an incredible selection, especially Swiss wines. Wines from Switzerland are generally hard to find and pretty expensive in the U.S., so it was great to pick some up. I even filmed a quick wine haul in case you missed it!

We ended up picking up two cases (24 bottles) to last us through the week, and let me tell you, it’s already clear that it wasn’t nearly enough. We're only halfway through, and we're basically out. We’ll dive into some of the wines in future posts, but some highlights definitely include the wines from Le Bois Dieu, Chérouche, and Maison Vulpin.

If you ever find yourself in Geneva, make sure to stop by Nino, it’s definitely worth it! 🛍️ 

What exactly is Vin Chaud? ♨️ 

Vin Chaud. Hot Mulled Wine. It’s the quintessential après-ski drink and has been a go-to for me all week. Let’s be honest, you’re not ordering it for the wine itself. It’s red, it’s warm, and it’s loaded with cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest, just enough to drown out the taste of whatever cheap red the bar has. And you know what? There’s really nothing better.

After a long day on the slopes, when the cold starts to seep through your ski clothes, nothing hits quite like it. You’ll find it in almost every bar and restaurant in the Alps, served as part of the après-ski tradition, it’s the drink that says, “You made it through the day.” It might not be the most complex wine you’ve ever had, but at 4 p.m. in the French Alps, when you’re trying to thaw out and wind down, it’s exactly what you need.

If you’re wondering how to make it at home, it’s pretty straightforward: pour a bottle of red wine into a pot with a splash of brandy. Toss in some cinnamon sticks, a handful of cloves, and a few orange slices. If you’re feeling adventurous, maybe throw in a couple star anise or a slice of fresh ginger. Heat it gently, just enough to let the flavors meld together, but don’t let it boil. Once it’s hot and fragrant, strain out the solids and pour it into a mug. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or orange slice.

Drink it while the snow falls and your friends argue about their skiing technique. ⛷️ 

Producer Highlight ⭐️ 

One of our favorite parts of wine is the discovery: we’re constantly being put on to new regions, producers, and cuvées from our friends. We’ll never be able to try EVERY wine, but we want to take a moment to mention some producers that excite us!

Lucas Madonia🍷 

Location: Valias, Switzerland 📍 

Pictured: Valias, Switzerland. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

One of the most exciting producers we've been following lately is Lucas Madonia. His wines truly capture the energy of the Swiss Alps with a precision and confidence that feels far beyond his few years of winemaking.

Originally from Dijon, Lucas grew up surrounded by the vineyards of Burgundy. His first serious mentorship was with Marc Soyard at Domaine de la Cras, where he developed a deep understanding of organic and biodynamic farming. But rather than following the well-paved path of Burgundian winemaking, he looked elsewhere, first to Jura, where he apprenticed at Domaine Bornard, then to the Swiss Alps, where he found something entirely his own.

Pictured: Lucas Madonia

Now based in Valias, Lucas farms just 2 hectares of old Cherouche vines on steep, terraced slopes. Working biodynamically and without added sulfur, his wines reflect both the raw beauty of the mountains and the finesse of his Burgundian training. The result is laser-focused, alpine-influenced wines that are quickly gaining a ton recognition. He currently farms several varieties, including Chasselas, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. In the wine world, people define fantastic, hard-to-find bottles as “Unicorn Wines,” and Lucas’ wines definitely fit that definition.

When I mentioned to some friends that I was heading to the Alps for the week, more than a few told me, “Grab as many bottles of Lucas Madonia’s wines as possible”. So when I walked into Nino, the wine shop in Geneva I mentioned earlier, and spotted a handful of his cuvées, I was thrilled.

Pictured: Lucas Madonia Pinot Noir

One of the bottles I picked up was his Tsavomisse Pinot Noir. It was light and juicy yet carried a ton of complexity; bright red fruit, a touch of alpine herbs, and a mineral-driven core that gave it both lift and structure. It felt both delicate and deeply rooted in its mountain terroir. Really special bottle

Huge thanks to Nino again for the hook-up 🤝 

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for next week’s newsletter; After the Alps, I'm planning on passing through Lyon, Beaune, and Dijon on my way up to the Jura 🇫🇷 

Thanks so much for reading along and, as always, drink responsibly 🥂