Each winter for the last several years, two weeks of gourmet dining have been provided by top chefs in a fairly off-the-beaten-track region of Graubunden, Switzerland. Tom and I were thrilled to be invited to Brigels for this annual celebration of local ingredients, dishes and wines. Our evening of pampered fine dining was memorable from first course to last!
Surselva is a pristine region flanking the Rhine Gorge between Reichenau and Disentis. Our culinary destination, Brigels, is perched on a mountainside about halfway along the train line linking the two.
In addition to rustic (and often family) local specialties such as maluns and capuns, the region has a surprising concentration of kitchens offering fine dining. The Surselva – Genuss Pur (Surselva – Pure Enjoyment) program, initiated four years ago by the management and head chef of Hotel La Val Bergspa Hotel’s Ustria Miracla, aims to highlight the virtuosity of participating chefs, as each kitchen hosts evening events throughout the program’s two-week run.
The 2015 edition of Surselva – Genuss Pur ran from 11 to 25 January. For our evening at restaurant Miracla, Chef Rudolf Möller offered a five-course Genuss Pur Gala Menü. Every course was exquisite, and perfectly paired with a wine from Annatina Pelizzatti in Graubunden’s Bündner Herrschaft wine region.
The food & wine
The chefs of Surselva – Genuss Pur
Our hosts at Hotel La Val take great pride in the quality of local food products from Brigels and the neighboring countryside. La Val Manager Chris Faber and Chef Möller initiated the Surselva – Genuss Pur program to showcase both regional fare and the talents of chefs based in Surselva.
In addition to Rudolf Möller (14 Gault Millau points), chefs and teams participating in the annual extravaganza are Guido Sgier (13 Gault Millau points), Hotel Postigliun Andiast; Tino Zimmermann (14 Gault Millau points), Stiva Veglia in Schnaus; Andreas Baselgia (13 Gault Millau points), Hotel Central Obersaxen; Manuel Reichenbach (14 Gault Millau point), Casa Tödi in Trun and Corsin Cavegn (guild of established Swiss restaurateurs), Hotel Posta Rueras.
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We were invited to Graubünden, Switzerland as guests of Switzerland Tourism, and for our Surselva – Genuss Pur experience, Hotel La Val Bergspa Brigels. Thank you for sharing this marvelous food and wine evening with us!
