Swiss wine was always the one I knew from the textbook and hardly ever from the glass. During one of my wine studies, about five years ago, I learned that Swiss wines were hard to come by outside of Switzerland and that most of it is consumed locally. So, when I walked through the halls of ProWein in Düsseldorf on 10 March 2024 and saw the Swiss Wine sign hanging over the stand, I did not walk past it. I picked up the tasting sheet, a glass and a pen.
And that is where this article comes from: twelve wines from four regions, and a tasting sheet full of scribbles in two languages.
Why is Swiss wine so hard to find outside Switzerland?
Because the Swiss drink it themselves. In the same week as ProWein, Swissinfo reported that exports account for a mere 1% of production. At home, Swiss wine is still the market leader with 37% of consumption in 2022, which also tells you that the Swiss happily drink a lot of imported wine on top of their own.
So, is that still the case five years after my studies? Yes. The wine is made in small volumes, it is sold at the cellar door and in Swiss shops and restaurants, and only a tiny share ever crosses the border. Which makes a stand full of open bottles at a German trade fair a rare chance, and I treated it like one.
Six regions, 252 grapes: what does Switzerland actually grow?
The tasting booklet Swiss Wine handed out at ProWein opens with a map, and the numbers on it are worth a second look. Switzerland has six wine regions: Valais, Vaud, Geneva, the Three Lakes, Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland. Together they cover 14,696 hectares, farmed by around 2,500 winemakers, producing about 83 million litres a year. 56% of it is red and 44% white.
Then the number that made me smile: 252 grape varieties, with Pinot Noir and Chasselas as the main ones, and 24 varieties that are historically Swiss. For a country you can drive across in a few hours, that is quite the collection.
Some of those grapes are old local varieties, like Humagne Blanche in Valais or Bondola in Ticino. Others were bred by Swiss researchers. Doral, for example, is a cross of Chasselas and Chardonnay made at the Changins research station in 1965, and Gamaret is a cross of Gamay and Reichensteiner from the same station, made in 1970. And then there are the local names that can throw you off: in Valais, Johannisberg is what they call Sylvaner.
The whites: Chasselas, and everything that is not Chasselas
These are my notes as I scribbled them on the tasting sheet, half in English and half in Dutch, tidied into sentences. No scores this time, just first impressions at a busy stand, and lots more to do.
- Maison Gilliard Porte de Novembre Johannisberg 2022, Valais: Johannisberg is the Valais name for Sylvaner.
- Caves du Château d'Auvernier Pinot Gris Sélection Tradition 2022, Neuchâtel, Three Lakes.
- vinigma Apriori 2022, a Valais blend of Humagne Blanche and Petite Arvine.
- Cave de la Côte Doral Expression 2022, La Côte, Vaud: Doral is a Swiss cross of Chasselas and Chardonnay.
- Castello di Cantone Galanthus 2022, a white wine made from Merlot in Ticino.
Maison Gilliard, Porte de Novembre Johannisberg 2022
Valais AOC | Johannisberg (Sylvaner) | 12%
Expressive, “sweetish” stone fruit, not so much on the sugar but it shows ripe “candied” stone fruit. Juicy acidity.
ENGEL Dimitri Vins, Chasselas Barrique 2022
Neuchâtel AOC, Three Lakes | Chasselas | 11.2%
Subtle oak, vanilla, peach and apricot.
Caves du Château d'Auvernier, Pinot Gris Sélection Tradition 2022
Neuchâtel AOC, Three Lakes | Pinot Gris | 13%
Yellow fruit, herbal and spicy, with body. The acidity keeps it juicy.
vinigma, Apriori 2022
Valais AOC | Humagne Blanche, Petite Arvine | 13%
Floral, liquorice, spice, alpine herbs and apricots. Plenty of body.
Cave de la Côte, Doral Expression 2022
La Côte AOC, Vaud | Doral | 13%
Layered, spicy, creamy and juicy. Medium body, floral.
Castello di Cantone, Vecchia Masseria Galanthus 2022
Ticino DOC | Merlot, made as a white | 13%
Layered, bit candied and creamy, with body. Smoky, with red fruit.
The reds: Pinot Noir, and the grapes you have never heard of
Pinot Noir is one of Switzerland's two main grapes, and the ones I tasted were all about raspberry and freshness. The rosé deserves a mention first, though.
- Caves du Paradis Avalanche Pinot Noir 2023, Valais.
- ENGEL Dimitri Vins Pinot Noir 2022, Neuchâtel, Three Lakes.
- Caves du Paradis Gamaret Olivier Roten 2023, Valais: Gamaret is a Swiss cross of Gamay and Reichensteiner.
- Azienda Mondò Bondola del Nonu Mario 2022, Ticino: Bondola is an old local red grape of Ticino.
ENGEL Dimitri Vins, Œil de Perdrix 2022
Neuchâtel AOC, Three Lakes | Pinot Noir | 12.5%
Medium tannin and body, comparable to a Pinot Noir, with chocolate and black fruit.
Caves du Paradis, Avalanche Pinot Noir 2023
Valais AOC | Pinot Noir | 13%
Raspberry, strawberry. Light but bold.
ENGEL Dimitri Vins, Pinot Noir 2022
Neuchâtel AOC, Three Lakes | Pinot Noir | 13%
Raspberry! Expressive and supple.
Caves du Paradis, Gamaret Olivier Roten 2023
Valais AOC | Gamaret | 13%
A good combination of Pinot Noir and Gamay in taste. Supple tannins, medium body, green pepper.
Azienda Mondò, Bondola del Nonu Mario 2022
Ticino DOC | Bondola | 12%
Cassis and tannin, not much body in the mid-palate. Light-footed.
The Gamaret made me laugh afterwards. My note says it tastes like a combination of Pinot Noir and Gamay, while on paper it is Gamay crossed with Reichensteiner, a white grape. Proof that your palate does not read the technical sheet.
What I still want to find out about Swiss wine
I left Düsseldorf with more questions than answers, and I wrote them down:
- Which export markets matter for Swiss wine, and is there room, or the land, to grow production at all in a country this mountainous?
- How does Switzerland want to be seen abroad? As cool climate? And does it borrow from its reputation for quality and precision in other industries?
- How big is sustainable and organic production, and what role does it play in the story Switzerland tells?
- How is global warming changing Swiss vineyards: ripening, acidity, the choice of grape varieties, and the work in the vineyard?
These are questions for the people who make the wine, ideally asked in the vineyards themselves.
Why Swiss wine hits my sweet spot
I do like “something different and interesting” and to my personal taste preference this honestly hits my sweet spot. I would love to get my hands on Swiss wines on a more regular occasion than only at special events.
Until then, if you see a Swiss bottle on a wine list or at a fair, order it. There is a good chance you will not see it again soon.
Any questions related to this topic? Maybe you can find your answer here. Click here!
Why is Swiss wine so hard to find outside Switzerland?
Switzerland exports only about 1% of the wine it produces. Most Swiss wine is sold and drunk at home, where it accounts for 37% of national wine consumption. Production volumes are small, so very little is left for export markets.
What are the main grape varieties in Switzerland?
Pinot Noir and Chasselas are Switzerland's main grape varieties. In total around 252 varieties are grown, 24 of them historically Swiss, including Petite Arvine, Humagne Blanche and Cornalin. Swiss research stations also bred modern crossings such as Doral and Gamaret.
What is Gamaret?
Gamaret is a Swiss red grape variety, a cross of Gamay and Reichensteiner made in 1970 at the Changins research station near Nyon. It gives dark-coloured, tannic red wines with spicy aromas.
What are the wine regions of Switzerland?
Switzerland has six wine regions: Valais, Vaud, Geneva, the Three Lakes, Ticino and German-speaking Switzerland. Together they cover about 14,700 hectares of vineyards. Valais is the largest region, Ticino is known for Merlot and Three Lakes for Chasselas, Pinot Noir and Œil de Perdrix rosé.
Resources
- Swiss Wine Promotion, ProWein 2024 Tasting Booklet (print, 10 to 12 March 2024), for the six regions, 14,696 hectares, 2,500 winemakers, 252 grape varieties, 24 historically Swiss varieties, 83 million litres and the 56% red to 44% white split: https://www.swisswine.com/en
- Swissinfo, 14 March 2024, for exports at 1% of production and Swiss wine's 37% share of domestic consumption in 2022: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-made/swiss-wine-hopes-to-boost-its-fortunes-with-fresh-funding/73692858
- Wein.plus glossary, for Doral as a Chasselas and Chardonnay cross from Changins, 1965: https://glossary.wein.plus/doral
- Wein.plus glossary, for Gamaret as a Gamay and Reichensteiner cross from Changins, 1970: https://glossary.wein.plus/gamaret
- Wikipedia, Swiss wine, for Johannisberg as the Valais name for Sylvaner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_wine
Margot van Lieshout
Wine marketeer, sales expert with over 20 years in the trade, public speaker and international wine judge. Thousands of wines scored from Steiermark to Ningxia, and a trade she knows from the inside out. Wine with Margot is where she helps wine brands tell the stories that sell them.
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