I Iove the look I get when I  mention to people here in Australia that we import Swiss wines....” do the Swiss actually makes wines” they say, well yes they do & normally my stock standard answer is that there 4 good reasons why- they are called Italy, Germany, Austria & France, so why should the Swiss miss out because they are surrounded by these great wine growing countries?

Mind you if you do want to do a bit of research on this topic you will not find all that much have ever been written, their wines reviewed so this could just be one of the worlds best kept secret.

Swiss wine writer Ernst Meier noted this about Swiss wines  ”So if Swiss vintage is so plentiful in variety, why is this central Europe’s best kept secret? Our production is very small. If you compare the total of hectares to France, we have sixty times less, and what we have too is a lot of small producers who have their clients, so they don’t have to put it on the market.  They just sell to the restaurants and their private clients. So the wines are not on the market in European countries or the US. The wines are also relatively expensive when you compare them with wines from Italy’s south or Spain.  Even neighboring Austria, who produces very nice whites and reds”

Swiss vineyards overview

Switzerland has over 160 different grape varieties with many vineyards being less than 100 square metres in size so much smaller than many other parts of Europe and here in Australia, there is a total of 14,820 hectares under vine in Switzerland which represents less than 0.2 % 0f the worlds total wine production. Yet there are over 700 wine makers & producers currently to be found in Switzerland which is a stunning number given the size and population of the country.

The Swiss do make great wines, I know first hand having lived there for many years and having the ability to ry many of the wines that are produced . Yes they may be somewhat more expensive but many especially including their Grand Cru & those awarded AOC status are really worth the time, money and effort to find…….let me tell you a little about Switzerland and her wines.

Switzerland has 6 distinct wine growing regions starting in the south where the evidence of France and French wines are clearly evident: Valais, Vaud, Geneva, then moving further north we move to towards the German speaking part of Switzerland where we find: Three Lakes, German speaking Switzerland, and finally we head south towards Italy and we find: Ticino

The primary grape grown is Switzerland is a very fine and fruit driven grape called the Chasselas and this is the grape most commonly used for the development of many of the white wines that are made in Switzerland. This grape for many years was only grown as a table grape but of late this has changed and now the grape has been treated with far greater attention & dignity. If there is one grape that is grown is Switzerland that truly embraces the diversity of Switzerland then it is the Chasselas as not two bottles ever taste the same as it moves from being described as light and easy, to spicy & aromatic and a very elegant wine- the terrior of this grape really comes through more than many other grapes that I know of.

This grape is predominantly grown in the south and French speaking parts of Switzerland, but this does not mean that you cannot find some stunning examples of white wines as well as if you head closer to the Rhine and the German border you will find great Riesling, Sauvignon & Chardonnay be grown.

Red wines are well represented to with Pinot Noir, Gamay, Gamaret, Gamanoir & Plant Robert being found. In addition to this you will find a huge range of very local wines in the form of Corvina, Fedant, Hiedi, Petite Arvine & Humagne Rouge.

Quality driven

The Swiss as we know are very quality driven , with the implementation of AOC and Grand Crus designations it allows Swiss wines for the first time to judged and compared about like styled wines. In addition to this a limited anumber of wineries have been awarded the Vinatura label which recognizes the efforts of wine makersd who use sustainable & more naturally focused wine growing and making practices thus guaranteeing to the consumer that their wines show great respect for the environment is which they were created.

Vaud and Valais

The Cantons of the Vaud and Valais make up for more than 60% of all the wines that are produced annually in Switzerland so heading to this part of Switzerland on your next wine experience is certainly worth the time and effort.

We are very lucky that one of our wine partners being Union Vinicole de Cully (UVC) which is located in the stunning UNESCO listed Heritage location of Lavaux has been awarded the VInatura Award.  Martin Morgenthaler  (GM of UVC) & Head Wine Maker Fabien Bernau do a great job in preparing and making some of the best wines to come out of the Lavaux and Vaud regions of Switzerland.

UVC  have received numerous awards from a wide range of leading Swiss wine authorities including Silver for the Chasselas Cuvee des Helvetes and Chasselas Le Replan,we would also suggest that you try their Grand Cru Calamin, Dezaley, Pinot Noir , Assemblage and a very local speciality called Plant Robert. If you are looking for something fun you should see if Alain Toscan is about  In Cully ask him about his innovative wines made under the Neowines label, yes wine is a can can taste great- why not try for yourself!

Whilst in this part of the world you cannot go past the great wines which are made by Jean & Simon Vogel and Domaine Croix Duplex, here you must try their Les Fluerettes de Grandvuax which is a stunning mixture of Riesling, Chasselas, Silvanner & Muscat Ottonel. We would also suggest that you also try some of the great Gamanoir (Gamay & Pinot Noir) Le Message as it is another great example of red wines from Switzerland.

Ticino

Heading towards Italy no trip to Switzerland is complete without a visit to Ticino. Nearly 92% of all wines made in Ticino are red but there is one great stand out you must try and that is one of favorites the Bianco Merlot, yes white Merlot! is truley a stunning wine drinking experience.

German Swiss

Moving towards the German speaking parts of Switzerland, great wines are being produced in the Graubuenden where you will find some fine wines being produced by Weingut Continelli & Weingut Tomas Marugg, certainly around Lake Zurich you must also drop in and see Weingut Pircher & Weingut Gehring as you will not be disappointed by their wines.

A country with experiences just waiting for you

So for a country where little has been written by so few, there are so many great experiences just waiting for you. You will find the Swiss wine makers exceptionally welcoming and wanting to share their wines with you, Swiss wines are made to be enjoyed, they are a great stand alone wine to share with friends when you are sitting at the SwimBad on the lake on a sunny summers afternoon as you dangle your toes into the clear blue waters of Lake Zurich or Lake Geneva.

Swiss wines make great food companions and this is where you so their real diversity and complexity as matching them with great local dishes like a great Chasselas with some fine Gruyere cheese or a Gamay with a fine cut of Simmental beef entrecôte or a matching some Gamaret with Poires Williams & some fresh field strawberries or black currents. ( my mouth is watering & my stomach is rumbling at the thought).

If you would like to know more or receive some further specific advice about Swiss wines then please feel free to drop me a note as I would love to help- watch out for if you are in Sydney and Melbourne for our forth coming wine tastings and degustation dinners please check out our website for further details

Its great to a true friend of Switzerland and of its fine wines, why not open your eyes and senses and see what you think for yourself.