Switzerland
Alpine to continental
A small, mountainous producer of fresh Alpine whites and Pinot Noir, most of which is drunk at home, led by Chasselas in the west and the Valais in the Rhône valley.
Overview
About Switzerland
Switzerland has around 15,000 hectares of vineyard, spread across six regions: the Valais, Vaud, Geneva, the Three Lakes, Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland. Steep terraces above lakes and rivers are typical, and the country grows a large number of local varieties next to Pinot Noir, Gamay and Chasselas.
Very little is exported, because the wines are made in small quantities and Swiss drinkers buy most of them. Each canton sets its own appellation rules, so quality and style vary from one to the next.
Where is a grape grown?
Hover a marker to see what's grown there, and click it to open that place. On a touch screen, tap once to preview and again to open. Bigger markers have more grapes linked to them.
Switzerland
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Alpine to continental
Cool Alpine and continental weather, moderated by the lakes and, in the Valais, by warm dry föhn winds. The best sites face south, on slopes that catch both direct sun and its reflection from water.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Varied: glacial moraines, limestone and marl around the lakes, and schist, gneiss and granite in the Alpine valleys. Vines are often grown on stone-walled terraces.
Go deeper
How the wines are classified
Swiss wines are classified by appellation, cantonal AOCs, rather than by any national quality ladder.
AOC (cantonal)
Each canton sets its own rules for grapes, yields and minimum ripeness; a few, like Vaud, add finer tiers such as Grand Cru.
Swiss table wine
Wine from Swiss grapes without an AOC, with looser rules.
Within Switzerland
Regions
Ticino
Italian-speaking Switzerland, south of the Alps, where Merlot is the main grape and wine is made in a warm, sub-Mediterranean climate.
Valais
Switzerland's largest wine canton, in the sunny, dry Rhône valley, with steep terraces of Chasselas (Fendant), Pinot Noir, Gamay and a wealth of local grapes.
Vaud
The terraced vineyards of Lavaux on Lake Geneva, a World Heritage site, where Chasselas takes on the character of each village.
What's grown here
Grapes
Grapes linked to Switzerland or to a place within it. Each grape's page links back here.