Hong Kong restaurants raise a glass for Swiss wine
Bordeaux and Burgundy tend to dominate wine lists in Hong Kong, but sommeliers across the city are quietly championing the diverse terroir and rising stars behind Swiss wines. Rebecca Lo finds out why.
The dining room of fine dining French restaurant Té Bo in Hong Kong’s Quarry Bay neighbourhood was no stranger to pairing dinners since it opened in late 2024. Yet the evening of 20 April marked a special occasion: the inaugural visit of Raffaella Gialdi from Swiss winery Gialdi Vini.
As part of the fourth generation of Gialdi Vini, which was established by Guglielmo Gialdi in 1953, she works alongside her father Feliciano Gialdi in the family-owned Mendrisio, Ticino estate west of Lake Como.
Té Bo’s sommelier Stanko Luksic brainstormed with chef Sebastian Lorenzi to pair rich dishes such as local yellow chicken with the estate’s full bodied Brivio Riflessi d’Epoca Merlot 2021 and Brivio Platnium Merlot 2019. Ravioli featuring Hokkaido scallop in a roasted fish sauce was paired with Brivio Baiocco Merlot 2023.
“The old rule that red wine shouldn’t be paired with seafood is not applicable here,” Luksic said. “In fact, the soft and juicy tannins of the Merlots worked really well with the dish and white meats like our yellow chicken.”
‘Our list keeps growing’
Luksic began introducing Swiss wines to showcase Lorenzi’s heritage as a Hong Kong native of Swiss and Filipino descent; and he has since grown to become an advocate.
“Swiss wine is not mainstream in Hong Kong,” he noted. “We currently have 20 Swiss references out of 250 in total. But our list keeps growing.”
Caroline Frey is a Swiss winemaker that Luksic champions, with her Arvine Vin de France 2020 a personal favourite: “The Petite Arvine grape is typically grown in Valais, Switzerland but she cultivated the grape on the granite soils of Condrieu in the Rhône Valley. I find it one of the most beautiful expressions of Petite Arvine, representing the gentle, feminine character of its maker.”
Luksic sources primarily from importer and distributor The Swiss Wine Store. Originally from Switzerland, its founder Damien Fleury has represented Swiss wines in Hong Kong since 2012. Today, his portfolio includes 25 producers and represents one of the most comprehensive offerings of Swiss references in the region.
An uphill battle
Fleury acknowledged that it was an uphill climb at first, as most people he encountered were unaware that Switzerland produced wine despite its winemaking history dating to the pre-Roman era.
Another hurdle he faced was availability. “Only one percent of Swiss wines are exported,” Fleury stated. “Switzerland is in a unique position because it has no need to export. Plus, the country’s wines have a reputation for being expensive as they cost more to produce. The Swiss minimum wage, for example, is three times that of Italy or France.”
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With contemporary producers such as Gialdi and Frey altering the Swiss wine landscape with integrated biodynamic practices, Fleury’s offerings include younger estates that complement established ones. His wholesale bottle prices for on-trade start at HK$200 (£18.86) for Swiss whites and HK$260 (£24.52) for Swiss reds.
Increasingly curious consumers
Since the pandemic, Fleury has shifted from predominantly private customers (many who exited Hong Kong during that time) to increasingly more on-trade clientele who can personalise Swiss wine narratives.
“People in Hong Kong are keen to learn and discover more about wines through storytelling,” he said. “Today, Swiss wines represent good value for money. They are not fancy, though their aim is always for excellence.”
Another one of Fleury’s on-trade clients is The Peninsula Hong Kong. The cellar at the flagship property for The Peninsula Hotels stocks 80 references from 20 wineries. “In 2015, we had 15 Swiss references,” noted chef sommelier Marc Le Gallic. “Today, we offer one of the most serious Swiss wine lists in Asia.”
Quality perception shift
The steady increase in Swiss wine offering at the hotel is tied to the on-going legacy of its Swiss restaurant Chesa. Opened in 1965, it is one of the oldest restaurants in the city.
“Our sale of Swiss wine is driven by Chesa,” admitted Le Gallic. “We want guests to enjoy the full experience of being in the middle of a Swiss chalet interior. Of course we would highlight the wines of Switzerland first, particularly from mountainous regions such as the iconic Gantenbein Winery, as they pair well with Chesa’s menu.”
Le Gallic observed that as Swiss consumers tended to drink their own country’s wines, what had traditionally been exported were lower end vintages. The result was a general perception that Swiss wines were expensive yet of inferior quality.
“Things have improved a lot in the past few decades,” he stated. “Damien gave us the opportunity for more diversity. Though there is a new wave and generation of winemakers, Swiss wines are still a very niche market.”
Food pairing picks
He is a fan of Swiss varietal Chasselas, noting that its wines are easy to drink, not too fruity or acidic, and pair well with Swiss classics such as fondue and Raclette. For The Peninsula’s Cantonese restaurant Spring Moon, he recommended Swiss Riesling.
“Its dry, warmer aroma goes well with Spring Moon’s menu of dim sum,” Le Gallic noted. Recent additions to the list include Besson-Strasser and Domaine des Landions from the Neuchâtel Lake region in Jura. “These wines from the Jura region speak to my French soul,” said Le Gallic with a grin. “They pair well with fish from different lakes and dairy.
“Every region of Switzerland has a rising star—making it one of the most dynamic countries in the wine world.”
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