Domaine de ChèroucheUnder the Rock
From teacher and sommelier to heroic mountain vignerons—Andrea Grossmann and Marc Balzan practice zero/zero natural winemaking on 38-degree slopes at 850m altitude, creating pure, precise wines from Switzerland's Valais.
From classroom and dining room to 38-degree slopes—how a chance meeting during the 2007 harvest created Switzerland's purest natural wine expression.
Marc Balzan trained in classic catering and cut his teeth in gourmet restaurants across France and Navarre before becoming a butler in Geneva in 1989. Under the influence of sommelier colleagues, he developed a passion for wine, becoming a finalist in the Ruinart competition for best sommelier in Switzerland. After working as a wine merchant and hosting tasting courses, he decided in 2007 to learn viticulture, taking a job as a vineyard worker in Villeneuve [^163^][^189^].
Andrea Grossmann grew up in the Zurich region, training as a teacher. In her final years of study, she landed her first job with a winemaker. The vineyards of Lavaux motivated her to settle in Lausanne for a decade, where she worked in vineyards and cellars while teaching German and painting. Over time, her watercolors gave way to large-scale canvases, and the dream of her own vineyard grew [^163^][^189^].
The couple met during the 2007 harvest and quickly decided to find their own vines together. Marc worked for two years at Domaine Mythopia in Valais—a pioneer of natural winemaking in Switzerland—before they found their first plots. In 2010, Domaine de Chèrouche was born, named after the wine-growing district where they unearthed their first vineyard ("under the rock"). Andrea designed the logo: the "clé à guillon"—the cellar master's key that opens the tasting tap [^163^][^166^][^181^].
"Zero Zero"—nothing added, nothing taken away. Heroic viticulture on 38-degree slopes with indigenous yeasts, goat whey, and lunar cycles.
Domaine de Chèrouche practices heroic mountain viticulture—the "zero/zero" philosophy meaning nothing added, nothing taken away. All work is manual due to topography; slopes reach 38 degrees. Fertilizers and irrigation are strictly prohibited. Soils are grassed with spontaneous vegetation or induced black clover [^163^][^170^].
Fungal treatments use "homeopathic" doses of wettable sulfur and copper dioxide (less than 1kg/ha/year), complemented by herbal teas—wormwood, nettle, yarrow, dandelion, horsetail, and goat whey. The movements of the moon are precisely observed for all treatments. The Valais climate provides over 300 days of sunshine annually with minimal rainfall, enabling this drastic reduction in copper use [^163^][^170^].
In the cellar, meticulous precision reigns. Reds undergo manual destemming on beech wood sieves, then maceration for 10 to 30 days with manual punch-downs. Extraction is reduced and low-temperature—closer to an "infusion" that gives suppleness and finesse. Whites see horizontal screw pressing over 12 hours, then aging in 228-600L Burgundy barrels. Two rackings (January and April), then bottling the following August by gravity directly from the barrel [^163^][^178^].
Zero Taken
Ayent—schist, clay, and quartz at 600-850m altitude, where the Swiss Alps meet Mediterranean sunshine.
Slopes
Extreme topography with slopes reaching 38 degrees—all work must be done manually as machinery is impossible. This "heroic viticulture" defines the estate's labor-intensive approach [^163^][^170^].
Altitude
Vineyards situated between 600 and 850 meters above sea level across eight plots, mostly southeast-facing. High altitude provides temperature variation and preservation of acidity [^163^][^166^].
Quartz
Soils composed of schist (more or less degraded), clay ("combs"), and quartz encrustation ("ridges"). This mineral composition lends distinctive character to both whites and reds [^170^].
From the "cherry vapor" of Les Noces to the electric Rouge de la Madeleine—pure Alpine expressions of Pinot, Gamay, and indigenous Swiss varieties.
Chérouche
The flagship cuvée—a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay that reveals a compelling mix of aromatic delicacy and grounded structure. Crafted according to Marc's Burgundian-roots, low-intervention methods: handwork, long macerations, and old-barrel élevage. A nuanced and pure expression of Valais fruit [^162^].
Les Noces de la Madeleine
An "utterly magic blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir"—delicate fruit and a body close to cherry vapor. This cuvée exemplifies the estate's ability to create wines of electric energy and arresting lightness while maintaining structure. Named after a local reference, it has become a cult bottle among natural wine enthusiasts [^183^][^188^].
La Chapelle
Old-vine Gamay from specific parcels in Ayent. Hand-harvested, short maceration prior to pressing, then spontaneous fermentation and aging in old barrels. The wine shows wild, electric character with arresting energy—a Gamay that channels the Alpine terroir rather than Beaujolais tradition [^172^][^176^].
Pontzan
Crunchy Gamay from the Tsampon terroir, planted in 1978. Two-week maceration creates a wine of beautiful crunch and vibrancy—"Zero/Zero" purity that showcases the schist and quartz soils of the site. A wine that demands to be drunk with joy and immediacy [^175^][^177^].
Les Lots / Chant de la Ryëre
A field blend of several indigenous Swiss white varieties (Chasselas, Arvine, Chardonnay, Amigne, Savagnin). Whites are pressed over 12 hours in horizontal screw presses, then aged in barrels. Orange wine versions are created via carbonic maceration (2 weeks), producing hazy, textural wines or blended with direct-press juice to reinforce character [^163^][^165^].
Amigne / Petite Arvine / Chasselas
Single-varietal expressions of Switzerland's indigenous grapes. The Amigne often contains 20% macerated juice to reinforce character. These showcase the purity of Valais varieties through the Chèrouche lens—mineral, lively, and full of Alpine energy. Truly "messenger wines" of this particular soil [^163^][^166^].
The Epicenter of Swiss Natural Wine
Domaine de Chèrouche stands at the epicenter of the Swiss natural wine movement in Ayent, Valais. As pioneers of the "zero/zero" philosophy in Switzerland, Marc and Andrea have created not just wines, but a model for heroic mountain viticulture. Their former vines are now tended by the next generation—including Lucas Madonia (Burgundian-trained, worked with Tony Bornard and Marc Soyard)—extending their influence beyond their own bottles [^178^].
The estate represents the "first type" of natural winemaker—those who try to keep things pure. With no website, minimal social media, and distribution primarily through word-of-mouth and select natural wine bars in Zurich, Paris, and London, they embody the anti-marketing ethos of the movement. Their wines—whether the cherry-vapor Noces or the electric Rouge de la Madeleine—are messages in a bottle from 850 meters up, proving that Switzerland belongs in the conversation with Jura, Beaujolais, and the Loire [^168^][^164^].
- Pioneers of Swiss "zero/zero" natural wine
- Heroic viticulture (38-degree slopes, manual only)
- 1.3 hectares across 8 plots (600-850m altitude)
- 9 varieties including indigenous Amigne and Arvine
- Homeopathic copper (<1kg/ha/year)
- Herbal teas: wormwood, nettle, yarrow, goat whey
- Lunar calendar observance
- Manual destemming on beech wood sieves
- Infusion-style extraction (10-30 days)
- Gravity bottling directly from barrel
- Legacy: vines now farmed by Lucas Madonia