MAIN Wine Europe Switzerland

Switzerland brings images to mind of skiing in the Alps and giant St. Bernard's complete with brandy casks to warm the wanderer...vineyards just don't seem to belong in this picture!

However, the answer to how the Swiss succeed in making excellent wines lies in Switzerland's lake shores, river banks and the warm southern Föhn winds that flow down the mountainsides of the Alps.

The Swiss national languages of German, French, Italian and Romanche reflect the wine traditions and the selection of grapes that are grown. The range of wines produced covers red, white and sparkling wines.

One reason that the wines of Switzerland are such a well-kept secret is that most of the wines don’t make it past the borders of their canton. Only one percent of the total wine production of this country is available for export.

Now that you know the secret, get prepared to be warmed by some very fine wines...

More information about Swiss wines & wineries around the Web:

Welcome to Swiss Wine - Dig right in to the wine regions of Switzerland featuring a clickable map presenting information & photo tours on the grapes and the wines. There's much more here, but beware the non-English links if you aren't fluent in German, French or Italian.

Fine Swiss Wine - A growing Web site about growing Swiss wine including news features, overviews of wine regions, travel highlights, a glossary of grape varieties, photos.

Swiss wine - This article from the Switzerland is Yours site reviews the wines of each region along with the climate and plenty of tourist information. They do recommend several specific wines to sip as you travel through the countryside.

Nick Dobson's Swiss Wines - Although only about 1% of the wines produced in Switzerland make it to other countries, NIck Dobson's shop has a selection that is accompanied by a nice intro and plenty of pretty pictures.

The Epicurean Tasting Room - Swiss Idyll - This wine safari through the Swiss wine regions not only includes detailed information on the areas, the grapes, the vineyards and the wines, but adds travel ideas and places to find more information...

also see -> Top Switzerland Tourist Attractions