Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A focused 3-stop route through Switzerland
The character of this trip
A small country whose wine mostly stays at home
Most Swiss wine is drunk in Switzerland, which is a good reason to go. The steep terraces of Vaud above Lake Geneva, the Alpine sun of the Valais and Ticino's Merlot south of the mountains are three different worlds, linked by short train and road journeys. Expect grapes you may not know, made in small quantities, and food that tastes of the place it comes from.
A focused route through what's currently documented
Switzerland has 3 places mapped on Ampelos so far. The route below draws on the ones within reach of each other — enough for a short, honest route rather than a full itinerary — and will grow as more of the country is documented.
Stops
3
Total driving
~228 km
Behind the wheel
4h 9min
Worth setting aside
5–7 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Gialdi — Mendrisio; a leading producer, best known for Merlot.
- Tamborini — Lamone; a family firm with a long history in Ticino wine.
- Christian Zündel — Beride; a small estate known for Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (October), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~155 km · 2h 49min to the next stop
Moving from a Merlot-led stop to a Chasselas-led one, the route changes grape as well as place: Ticino, then Valais.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Marie-Thérèse Chappaz — Fully; one of the country's best-known growers, for Petite Arvine and sweet wines.
- Jean-René Germanier — Vétroz; a leading family estate for local grapes.
- Provins — A large cooperative that makes a wide range of Valais wines.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in late autumn (November), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (June), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~73 km · 1h 20min to the next stop
Vaud feels different from Valais, in the glass and in the air: dry alpine, then temperate lakeside.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Louis Bovard — Cully; a leading family estate for Lavaux Chasselas.
- Blaise Duboux — Epesses; known for Lavaux whites from old vines.
- Fonjallaz — Epesses; a long-established estate with vineyards in Lavaux.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (September), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (April–May), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.