Click here to read the Spanish version.
We have tasted (and a lot) of wine, chocolate, olive oil, beer, whiskey, tequila, coffee and even water; but it had never occurred to us -until now- to taste mountain air. This unusual experience is one of the suggestive tourist attractions of Graubünden, the Swiss canton of Grisons, a spectacular alpine region that invites you to explore its beautiful landscapes with your nose as your guide.
“Our ‘mountain air sommelier’ will show you how you can live it in all its facets,” they say on their website. This guardian of the scents of Graubünden is none other than Patrick Stebler, an award-winning Swiss perfumer, apothecary and gourmet who has explored the region’s mountains with his gifted nose since he was a child:
“I think the sense of smell is hugely underrated. It is the most important sense for me, but it is only perceived unconsciously”, says Stelber. “It is the most intense form of memory. Smells are stored in the brain (limbic system) and can be evoked at any time. In addition, the limbic system is the center of emotions and feelings. Many beautiful things unconsciously pass through the nose, ”she adds.
Wild scents
As they explain on the Graubünden website, Stebler “knows better than anyone which canyon smells like a summer morning and which forest with resinous notes has a calming effect”. That is why they have chosen him to direct the mountain air tastings, in which visitors will learn the different elements that intervene in the unique aroma of the region -such as altitude or humidity-; and they will breathe the essence of ancient fir forests, wild grasses, creaking wood, mineral rocks or alpine roses.
In fact, there are different experiences depending on the aromatic preferences of future ‘tasters’: one of the most popular invites you to discover the ‘blueberry trail’ in Viamala, culminating in a meal prepared by Swiss chef Tavolata Regula Schmid (includes a custom dessert made from the blueberries picked during the tour). Another goes through the chestnut paradise, Bergell (which is also savored in a chestnut cake tasting); on the Surselva route, honey and thyme are the delicious protagonists; and in Vals, the aromas of wood permeate everything.
The ‘mountain air tastings’ can be booked from 50 Swiss francs, offer the possibility of hiring a translator and only ‘require’ two conditions: “Experience and enjoy”. Do you dare to test your sense of smell in this idyllic setting?
