Kim Uncorked: Welcome to my weekly wine recommendation.
Hi, I’m Kim, a passionate lover of wine, food, and any experience that brings the two together! In this weekly blog post, I share my thoughts on a wine that I’ve recently purchased from one of our local independent wine merchants. If you’d like to know more about me, I’ve included a brief bio following the post.
2025 Spiezer Sauvignac
Switzerland
Not available locally
For the next three weeks, I’m bringing you along with me on holiday! Three weeks, two countries, countless wines.
This week’s post comes from Switzerland, where I’ve been hiking in the Bernese Oberland region.
Perched on the sunny shores of Lake Thun and surrounded by the Bernese Alps, Spiez is home to one of Switzerland’s highest wine-growing regions, with a viticultural history dating back more than 1,000 years. I had the pleasure of visiting Spiezer Alpine Weinkultur, where the winery and cooperative continues that tradition by cultivating 14 grape varieties across 13 hectares of terraced vineyards in Spiez, Faulensee and Spiezwiler.
Among them, Sauvignac, a PIWI— short for Pilzwiderstandsfähige, or fungus-resistant grape variety — offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of viticulture. Swiss breeder Valentin Blattner developed Sauvignac through a series of crosses involving Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and other disease-resistant varieties. The result is an aromatic grape with lively acidity and resistance to fungal diseases such as downy mildew and Botrytis. As climate change brings increasingly variable growing conditions and greater disease pressure, PIWI varieties can help reduce the need for fungicide treatments, making more sustainable viticulture possible.
The 2025 Spiezer Sauvignac offers aromas of white flowers, peach, citrus, and grapefruit, complemented by subtle sweet spice. The palate is crisp and lively, with bright fruit and refreshing acidity. An appealing balance of aromatic intensity and freshness makes it incredibly easy to enjoy.
Sauvignac pairs well with green salads with fruit or citrus dressings, poultry, or soft cheeses. It’s also easy to sip while admiring a lakeside view and the surrounding mountains.
Kim Mead is a Vancouver-based wine and food writer. She holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines with Merit, the French Wine Scholar designation with Honours, the Bordeaux Masters designation with Honours, and the Italian Wine Essentials certification. Kim serves as Cellar Master for the Vancouver chapter of the International Wine and Food Society and is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Follow her @agalandaglass