A small country that produces very good pinot noir with most of the wine produced being consumed domestically.
There are indigenous grapes like Chasselas (white) and Gamaret/Cornalin (red) as well as international varieties such as pinot noir, and merlot. Grown in alpine terroir regions such as Valais, Vaud and Ticino.
A good website for Swiss wines is Alpine Wines (www.alpinewines.co.uk).
For those that can remember growing up and having read Johanna Spyri’s children’s book - ‘Heidi’, no trip to Switzerland is complete without a visit to Heidiland. Located in Eastern Switzerland, it is as beautiful and picturesque as you ever imagined whilst absorbed in the Heidi story. Lush green hillsides, mountains predominating the skyline, the air clear and crisp. Not only a beautiful place, but also ideal conditions for making wine. The Bundner Herrschaft region, also referred to as the Heidiland region, produce over 50 varieties of wine. Some notable wineries in the region include the Davey Winery; and the Salengagg Castle Winery that is considered to be the oldest vineyard in western Europe, as wine has been produced here since 1068.
No visit is complete without a quick visit to Maienfield to visit the Hedi Village, it features the original Heidi house, and was where Johnanna Spry wrote her charming book. You can also pick up your own bottle of ‘Heidi’ Wine … just what every cellar needs as a reminder of this spectacularly beautiful region whilst reminiscing about your childhood.
An iconic restaurant in Zurich is the Kronenhalle, which has been serving patrons from all over the world since 1924 and pays homage to art and tradition. Close by to Zurich’s Opera House, Schauspielhaus theatre and Kunsthaus museum, it also houses its own art collection includes works by Marc Chagall, Auguste Rodin and Joan Miro. We were lucky enough to get a reservation in the Chagall Room, that provided the perfect backdrop to our Swiss wine tasting that was paired perfectly with the local specialty of veal that were served to us at our table, under silver cloches. (2025)
