How often are you welcomed with a glass of local white wine when you check into a hotel? I can count those moments at my fingertips. But it is a perfect fit for the hotel amidst one of Switzerland’s most charming vineyards. I am at the quaint village of Vico Morcote in Ticino in the southern part that borders Italy. With more of an Italian feel, the canton of Ticino is one of the six regions in the Alpine country that produces exceptional local wine.
Perched around 200 meters above the emerald green Lake Lugano, Vico Morcote is a step back in time. With narrow cobbled streets, it has a historic hotel, a 15th-century castle in a sprawling family-run vineyard, a baroque church, and a restaurant surrounded by mulberry trees. Throw in some extraordinary local wine sipped amid dreamy views of the Alps, and it’s the perfect cocktail to fall in love. That is exactly what happened to me.
As I sip a glass of Fovola, an aromatic white wine from their vineyard, the Marketing Manager, Maria Martha Lacachury narrates the history of this boutique hotel with just 12 rooms. "This was a 17-century convent and then the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Some of the original work is still intact."
The living room at Relais Castello di Morcote has an ancient fireplace, cement floor tiles, and a painted coffered ceiling that dates back to the original building. Each room is decorated differently, and not all face the lake. Hoping mine does, I cross my fingers as I open the door. My prayers are answered. I can gaze out my window all day at the breathtaking view, but dinner is calling.
A ten-minute drive brings me to a special restaurant, Vicania, that stands in splendid solitude along an Alpine mountain, after which it is named. There is no other structure in the vicinity. Once an old farmhouse, the stone walls remain intact, and the food and wine are all local. In this surreal setting, I dine on buttery and creamy mushroom risotto, delicately marinated trout with yoghurt, sweet and sour apples and caramelised onions—creations that make me want to return the next day. The dessert, a biscuit with velvety coffee cream and chestnuts is like tasting a slice of autumn. The plating is so gorgeous that delving into it feels like a sin. All this is accompanied by endless refills of red and white wine from the vineyard, which is so good that I can’t wait to visit it tomorrow.
The next day, I wake up to the sound of church bells and a pitter-patter outside, which turns into a heavy downpour. I walk through the village with an umbrella to one of Switzerland's most charming farm and wine estates, Tenuta Castello di Morcote. Sprawled across 150 hectares with terraced vineyards till as far as the eye can see, the picturesque Lake Lugano is shrouded in clouds and a castle perched on top, like strolling through a picture book. It gets even better from a viewpoint where I get a gorgeous view of the scenic lake and the hazy outlines of an Italian town, Porto Ceresio, that stands on the other side. I tear myself away from this stunning panorama to walk up to a castle sitting in the vineyard.
Built around 1450 by the Dukes of Milan on the site of a Roman watchtower, Morcote Castle passed on to the Swiss in 1515 after the fall of the Duchy of Milan and became important from a military standpoint. This castle, which is not as big as I had imagined, is the region's only remaining medieval military fortress. Its location in the vineyard is not surprising—apparently, the Romans brought vines to the region 2000 years ago.
I enter the castle through a room lined with oak barrels and then move on to the courtyard, where another exceptional view of the lake and the estate awaits me. Maria tells me this place is quite popular for small ceremonies or special occasions like weddings. As I roam around the garden, soaking it all in, I spot a well dating back to Roman times.
If I am in a wine estate, how can I leave without sampling some of it? I head to the beautiful building which houses the cellar and wine tasting room, where I meet the owners, Gaby Gianini and her husband, Maurizio. Gianini followed in her grandfather's footsteps, who set up the vineyard nearly a century ago. She is now counted as one of the top Swiss winemakers. "When I started at 35, I had no idea what to do and how to differentiate between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. I had to learn it all from scratch," she says.
They make nine labels and produce about 60,000 bottles a year. Going around the cellar, I learned that the wines in the steel and oak barrels are biodynamic and organic. Most grapes are harvested by hand and don't contain chemicals or pesticides.
I settle down to taste their most well-known wines—Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The most popular is the Merlot. "It's the region's speciality to make white wine from Merlot grapes, which is normally associated with red wine," Maurizio tells me.
The tasting begins with the Castello di Morcote Bianco, a white wine with 90 per cent Merlot grapes and 10 per cent Chardonnay. I love its citrus and tropical aromas, but other wines are waiting. The pale pink rose wine is another winner, as it is floral, fruity, and 100 per cent Merlot.
As I sip the wine and look around, I understand what's so special about this place. Of course, it is the raw beauty of the Alps and the sparkling lake. But the warmth of Gaby Gianini and the historical setting is also hard to beat—this is where the 21st century has crept in so discreetly that time appears to have stood still.
Getting There: Swiss Air operates direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Zurich daily. Take the Swiss Federal Railway train from the Zurich train station to Lugano. The direct trains take about two hours. From Lugano, take a bus to VicoMorcote. Another way is to take a ferry from Lugano to Morcote on Lake Lugano and then a bus to VicoMorcote.
Visa: A Schengen visa is required to enter Switzerland.
Stay: Relais Castello di Morcote is the most charming hotel in this village.
