Wine hike: explore the unknown "wine country Switzerland" on foot

Viticulture in Switzerland

The vineyards where viticulture takes place are often located at dramatic heights. High up, grapes are grown that are later made into wines of the finest quality. However, cultivation takes place in such small quantities that hardly any wine is exported from Switzerland. Only about one to two percent of the finished wines leave the country - which also explains why Switzerland is relatively unknown as a wine country. If you are curious and want to taste the rare wines, there is usually only one thing to do: enjoy the wine where it is grown. And marvel at the adventurous ground on which these extremely rare vines thrive. 

Fun fact: Switzerland has 15,000 ha of vineyards and produces about 1.1 million hectoliters of wine per year, of which about 51 percent is white wine. In comparison, France produces about 45 million hectoliters of wine from a cultivated area of 867,400 hectares, which corresponds to about seven billion bottles of wine.

A wine walk through Switzerland

On a wine hike through Switzerland, in addition to tasting each wine, you can expect an enchanting hike that takes you through the iconic mountains of Switzerland. Along rugged ravines, picturesque villages, passing majestic castles, you can work your way up to the terraced slopes and reward yourself generously with a tasting at the local winemaker's vineyard. In addition to a breathtaking hike and delicious wines, a wine hike also includes plenty of interesting information about grape varieties, climate, traditions, and the dedicated work of Swiss winemakers. After all, every wine has its own "terroir" determined by region, soil, and microclimate. 

Small tip: If you do the wine hike in September and time and weather permit, you can watch the grape harvest. One thing you should not miss on a wine hike through Switzerland is the Weinfelden wine trail. Over a distance of 9 kilometers along the vineyards of the region of Weinfelden, Boltshausen and Ottoberg, 30 panels provide information about viticulture, vine development, wine varieties, winemaking and winegrowers.

Background on the cultural heritage

The wine landscapes also tell a lot about Switzerland's cultural heritage. Settling Romans, medieval Cistercian monks and wealthy Patricians laid the foundations for viticulture in sun-drenched river valleys and on former glacial moraines. Today, a considerable number of idealists ensure that forty ancient local rarities such as the Lafnetscha, the Himbertscha or the Rèze are still cultivated. They defiantly stand up to the increasingly uniform wine market - and who knows, perhaps they are even heralding a new era of modern viticulture, in which the "swiss made" label will gain in popularity.

Discover wines from Switzerland

About a third of all Swiss wines are produced in the 1,100-meter-high vineyards of Visperterminen in the canton of Valais, mainly to the right and left of the Rhône River. They are considered the highest vineyards in Europe. Other areas of Switzerland where viticulture is present are Vaud, Geneva, Ticino, Zurich, and Neuchâtel with the Three Lakes region. 

We have compiled a list of the most common wines in Switzerland for you to use as a guide during your wine hike: 

1. The white wine Chasselas from the canton of Valais. 

2. The white wine Müller-Thurgau, also called Rivaner, from the canton of Thurgau at the Geisenheim Research Institute in Rheingau. 

3. Among the red wines, the Pinot Noir is represented almost everywhere, especially strong in the German-speaking eastern Switzerland. 

4. The red wine Gamay dominates in the Geneva country and Vaud country.  

5. The red wine Merlot is found mainly in the canton of Ticino.  

And so, if you like, you can hike exactly where your favorite grapevine thrives. Or find a new passion on new paths. Finally, we have a tip where you can find beautiful paths for your wine hike in Switzerland: Hiking through vineyards. 

We hope you enjoy exploring now no longer unknown wine country Switzerland and cheers!