Location:  Alpine country in central Europe

Grape Variety:  Chasselas, Sylvaner, Riesling, Müller Thurgau, Pinot Noir, Gamay

Wine Produced:  Mostly light dry wines

Principal Regions:  Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Ticino,

Brief Introduction

Switzerland is a small Alpine country located in the central Europe; Switzerland is composed of 26 cantons and 4 linguistic areas: German, French, Italian and Romanche. This creates a richness and variety of expressions, which are also reflected in traditions, lifestyles, eating and drinking manner.

Its wine-producing geography is subdivided into six areas: the cantons of Valais, Vaud, Geneva, The Three Lakes’ region, The German-Speaking area in Eastern Switzerland and the Italian-speaking Canton of Ticino. Switzerland’s particular geographical situation, in between four major wine-producing nations (France, Italy, Germany and Austria), offers an extreme diversity in the characters of its wines.

Swiss vineyards give a large choice of grape varieties, although they are still scarcely known abroad. The most typical white grape variety is Chasselas, whose extreme sensitivity to both soil and situation is reflected in subtle differences in taste. Among the red grape varieties, the most widespread is Pinot Noir which can take very different characters depending on the region from where it comes and the type of vilification it has undergone.

Grape Variety

• Chasselas/Fendant
• Pinot Noir