Skip the Middleman — Wine, Stories, and a Sense of Time Travel

The Skip the Middleman dinners at Rechberg are continuing over the summer of 2026. Brothers Alexander and Raphael Guggenbühl started the series with a simple idea: bring Swiss winemakers directly to the table, let them pour their own wines, and share their stories in person. Table by table, glass by glass.

On April 10, 2026, I had the pleasure of attending the first of these evenings. We've loved the wines of Patrick Adank and Alain Schwarzenbach for years — and experiencing them in person, thier humor and warmth - made everything feel even more connected.

Patrick and Alain spent the entire evening moving from table to table, pouring wines and sharing stories with guests. Almost as soon as we sat down, Alain came by with two wines for us to choose from. We went with his first recommendation: a Pinot Noir Chardonnay from Schwarzenbach. From there, the evening unfolded slowly and generously across seven courses.

What makes Rechberg so special for me is that dinner feels less like "going out to eat" and more like entering another rhythm entirely. The kitchen works with local ingredients and focuses only on products that would have existed before industrialisation. It genuinely feels a little like stepping back in time — but with extraordinary wine pairings.

The menu started strong and never really stopped. My personal highlights were the deconstructed mushroom pasta with cream foam and walnuts, and the homemade lamb sausage.

What stayed with me most though, was the pacing. Food and wine together created a kind of quiet abundance — a state where everything slows down. I found myself fully present with the person I was with, sharing food, wine, conversations, and moments without distraction.

Throughout the dinner, Alain spoke about his family vineyards — how his grandparents planted many of the vines, the different parcels he now tends, and how each site develops its own character over time. Hearing these stories while drinking the wines made everything feel connected and alive.

After dinner, I stayed with Alain and a few guests as they tried to fool him with various small-batch Swiss wines from across the country. He guessed every single one correctly. I was honestly stunned.

The person next to me told a story about travelling deep into a valley in Ticino to find a particularly obscure bottle, hoping to finally stump him. Alain tasted it and immediately knew where it came from.

Coming Up: The Series Continues

The next evenings are already coming up fast, each one bringing different winemakers and seasonal menus. See you there! Here's what's coming:

Friday, 12 June — Myra Zündel & Jonas Huber von Zündel & HuberVini (Ticino) Two family estates from the Malcantone, both in the middle of a generational handover. Myra Zündel carries forward her father Christian's biodynamic, Demeter-certified domaine with precision and a Burgundian soul. Jonas Huber has taken over the legendary estate of his parents Daniel and Anne-Marie, continuing the Montagna Magica tradition with added elegance and a new signature. Both will be there in person.

Saturday, 11 July — Adrian Hartmann von Adrians Weingut (Oberflachs AG) Adrian Hartmann farms 4 hectares in the Schenkenbergertal biodynamically, Demeter-certified, with deep respect for soil and nature. Since 2015 he's been living his dream of his own estate — spontaneous fermentation, minimal intervention, long lees ageing. Pure and characterful.

Saturday, 25 July — Sven Hohl & Jonas Ettlin von JET Wein & Rebhalde Sven Hohl's Bioweingut Rebhalde sits high above Lake Zurich with views of the Alps — four generations in family hands, and Sven was named Switzerland's favourite young winemaker by the Falstaff community in 2024. Elegant cold-climate wines, spontaneous fermentation, maximum terroir expression.

Friday, 26 July — Madlaina Erni & Catherine Cruchon Two women, two regions, one shared approach: wine as an honest agricultural product, close to the ground and far from the mainstream. Madlaina is the only winemaker in the Misox who bottles and sells her own wines, from steep terraces averaging 77% gradient, on vines between 45 and 100 years old. Catherine Cruchon is a trained oenologist, former Swiss rowing champion, and the next generation of the renowned Domaine Henri Cruchon near Morges — Demeter-certified, third generation.

Menus are 4 or 7 courses (CHF 95 / 120), with wine accompaniment available in two sizes. Doors open at 18:30, events begin at 19:00.

Places are limited