Ticino
Sub-Mediterranean, Alpine foothills
Italian-speaking Switzerland, south of the Alps, where Merlot is the main grape and wine is made in a warm, sub-Mediterranean climate.
Overview
About Ticino
Ticino is the Italian-speaking canton south of the Alps, around Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, and it has roughly a thousand hectares of vineyard, with Merlot making up about four-fifths of plantings. Merlot was brought from Bordeaux in the early 20th century, after phylloxera destroyed the region's older vines, and it now makes wines that range from fresh and fruity to full, oak-aged reds.
One of Ticino's specialities is Merlot vinified as a white wine, known as Merlot Bianco. The canton is divided by Monte Ceneri into two parts: the Sopraceneri, to the north, with granite soils and terraced vineyards, and the Sottoceneri, to the south, with more limestone and clay. The wines are usually best drunk in the region, alongside local dishes, and the area is easy to combine with the Italian lakes.
Ticino is marked on the map.
Switzerland
Shaded: Ticino. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Sub-Mediterranean, Alpine foothills
Warmer than northern Switzerland, with a mild, humid climate and some of the highest rainfall in the country. Lake and mountain air moderate the heat, and vines have traditionally been trained on pergolas to protect against damp.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Granite and gneiss in the Sopraceneri, giving lighter wines, and limestone and clay in the Sottoceneri, giving fuller, richer Merlot. Many vineyards are on steep terraces.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Ticino's Merlot is protected by a canton-wide appellation, with a stricter tier above it for the best wines.
Merlot del Ticino DOC
The canton's flagship appellation, with a higher tier for wines from lower yields and longer ageing.
Ticino DOC
The wider appellation, covering other grapes and blends.
What's grown here
Grapes
Each grape's page links back here.