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Swiss wines don't get much exposure in the UK, though they certainly deserve to based on their quality. Thanks in large part to our Wine Grapes co-author José Vouillamoz, I have tasted more Swiss wines in the last few years than in the previous decade.

Swiss wine is one of Switzerland’s best-kept secrets, since it’s not widely known internationally as a wine-producing country. As vineyards throw open their doors to visitors in ‘open cellars’ season, The Local raises a glass to the Swiss wine industry.

1. Grapes have been grown in Switzerland since Roman times.

One thousand bottles of wine were submerged in a crate on Saturday, where it is hoped they will age nicely in the ideal conditions provided by the lake’s depths.

The wine, which is a white variety known as chasselas, was lowered into Lake Geneva at the foot of the famous Chillon Castle. For the next three years, the bottles will remain suspended from a rope to a depth of about 30 metres (98 feet).

Switzerland’s vineyards, unlike those of neighboring France, are small, family affairs that produce some of Europe’s best wine. Grown on the slopes surrounding Lake Geneva, Swiss grapes make for light, easy-drinking wines that are rarely exported but probably should be. Take a tour of the best vineyards around Lake Geneva and find out about this under-appreciated wine region.
 

On Saturday, May 20, 2017, thousands of enthusiasts and curious people will walk through the forty wine villages of the canton of Geneva to live a new edition of the open wineries day, the most important annual event of the Geneva vineyards.

At a masterclass in Hong Kong this week, Jancis Robinson MW talked to a packed room about the still under-appreciated delights of the world’s indigenous grape varieties.

Highlighting six indigenous grape varieties – including Assyrtiko, Petite Arvine and Timorasso – the Master of Wine argued that there is currently a big swing away from international grape varieties towards indigenous grapes.

Swiss Wine Promotion is pleased to announce the next Swiss open wineries event to be held over four weekends in six different wine regions across the country between April 29 and June 4, 2017.

Participate to the contest

More than 200,000 visitors

What began in Geneva and the German speaking part of Switzerland as a regional event has become the national meeting for producers and their audience. More than half of Swiss producers participate and attract more than 200,000 people each year.

SAXON, Switzerland – Flaming anti-frost candles flickered between rows of budding vines in Swiss Alpine valleys on Thursday as wine growers strove to thwart harsh frosts brought on by unseasonably low temperatures.

The mercury dropped below freezing overnight in the Canton of Valais, a mountainous region of Switzerland nestled between the borders of Italy and France.

Discreet and delicate but nevertheless distinct – “It is the wine closest to nothingness that I have ever tasted”, says writer Katsuyuki Tanaka.

By Sarah Wong, South China Morning Post

Swiss wine, a novelty in Asia, has a chance to attract discerning Asian wine lovers, who are looking for lesser-known varieties and new areas to try.