As you will probably know, I’m organising the gathering of online communicators, bloggers and other wine fanatics, in Montreux, Switzerland this year. To educate and entertain myself, I’m exploring the flavours of Swiss wine and the lovely Joelle at Alpine Wines (or Nick Dobson wines) helpfully sourced a selection for me.

Tonight’s treat, and a little surprise, was this Petite Arvine from Chanton. This is a grape indigenous to the Valais in Switzerland. In the past I have been struck by its floral nose, and the almost salty note on the palate. It was a little surprise therefore to open this and to find not just floral notes, but taste a full-on marmalade and tropical fruit smoothie on the nose and mouth.

This grape often seems to give a very rich, almost oily and full-bodied wine, but this particular one has more than a hint of fruitiness to round it out.

In fact, it worked very well with a risotto with sweet peas and rich smoked salmon.

Very well done to the Swiss on this one.

Petite Arvine, 2009, Mario Chanton – £29.74