Wine Regions And Producers Reading A Swiss Wine Label Cities

French Speaking Cantons Liechtenstein German Speaking Switzerland Italian Speaking Switzerland

Away from the steepest of the Alps, vines are grown throughout Switzerland, especially along the many lakes and rivers, which moderate the climate throughout the year. The most extensive vineyards, in the French-speaking cantons, produce white wines from Chasselas grapes, red wines from Pinot Noir and, in Valais, the blend based on Pinot Noir called Dole. The German-speaking cantons in the north and east tend to make win for drinking very young; whites from Riesling-Sylvaner (Muller-Thurgau), and reds from Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir). In the south, on the Italian border, the warmer climate ripens Merlot grapes to make fruity red wines.

Three-quarters of the Confederation's 15,000ha (37,000 acres) of vineyard lie in French Switzerland (Suisse Romande). There are 1,300ha (3,200 acres) in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, and the rest is spread over 17 cantons of German-speaking Switzerland. The area of the Swiss vineyard has increased by 20% since the 1960s, with the largest wine-producing canton, Valais, growing by a third. Some of the most reliable wine-producing firms are listed under each area.