There are over 40 varieties of indigenous grapes that grow in Switzerland. Despite several previous visits to Switzerland, we had no idea about Swiss wine until our recent visit to Zermatt. It was the wonderful Fabiene of Zermatt Tourimus that told us Valais, the region where Zermatt is situated, is Switzerland’s largest growing wine region and produces nearly half of the country’s wine.
Swiss Wine Regions
So why then is Swiss wine virtually unknown outside of Switzerland and even harder to find? It’s simple really. Production is very small and producers sell their Swiss wine to restaurants and private clients. Only about 1% of Swiss wine ever makes it to the European market.
Pinot Noir is king here in Valais as the most widely planted grape. It was introduced to the region in the mid-nineteenth century as a way to regenerate Switzerland’s wine industry. Pinot Noir has become one of the best red wines in Valais.
Pinot Noir wine is among the most popular in the world and Vanity Fair once said of it:
“The most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic.”
So it’s no wonder we were excited to try Swiss Pinot Noir! We found it on the wine list at Restaurant Stradel and since it pairs well with red meats, was a perfect accompaniment to the Fondue Chinoise we were sharing. It is smooth, fresh, and soft on the palette with scents of black cherries, raspberries, and other berries.
Caves du Paradis Sierre Pinot Nois AOC Valais 2011
We were even more excited to find a bottle at the butcher shop along Zermatt’s Main Street to bring home. We bought a Caves du Paradis Sierre Pinot Nois AOC Valais 2011 for around 16 CHF. It’s ideal serving temperature is 14°C and pairs well with red meat, lamb, and soft cheese.
Swiss wine is relatively expensive in comparison to wines from Italy or even other parts of Europe. But not totally impossible to find. If you come across a bottle, we highly recommend you give it a try. Or better yet, take a wine safari to Switzerland!
And if you just can’t make it to Switzerland anytime soon, but we’ve convinced you that you simply must try Pinot Noir, it is available on these specialty websites:
http://winefetch.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/merchants/usa
Would you like to try Swiss wine?
Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
Follow Me:
We’re Jennifer and Tim and we love traveling! We are just one ordinary couple who have found that travel brought us closer together, taught us patience, the art of compromise, and how to truly appreciate the diversity of this extraordinary world. So far, we've visited 37 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
Greece 
Italy 
14 comments
3 pings
Skip to comment form ↓
Andrea
February 27, 2013 at 5:53 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Never tried Swiss wine but I adore Pinot Noir…I guess now I know why I never see it anywhere!
Andrea recently posted..Chelsea Market in NYC
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 27th, 2013 at 7:53 pm
You’d love the Swiss Pinot Noir, Andrea! Now you have an excuse to go to Switzerland.
[Reply]
Ali
February 27, 2013 at 6:13 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Really interesting that they keep production small and keep most of the wine inside of Switzerland!
Ali recently posted..Simple Australia Itinerary
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 27th, 2013 at 7:54 pm
I think it’s just that they have far less space to grow grapes than Italy, France, or even Austria. So the vineyards operate more as small farms and then they produce wines like a cooperative.
[Reply]
Leigh McAdam
February 27, 2013 at 6:31 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I lived in Neuchatel for a short time and remember having great fun at the annual Fete de Vendages. I don't know if they just drink all the Swiss made wine but it sure is hard to find in Canada. On the rare occasion I do find a bottle of good Swiss white wine I save it for a fondue.
[Reply]
Leigh
February 27, 2013 at 7:31 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I lived in Neuchatel for a short time and remember having great fun at the annual Fete de Vendages. I don’t know if they just drink all the Swiss made wine but it sure is hard to find in Canada. On the rare occasion I do find a bottle of good Swiss white wine I save it for a fondue.
Leigh recently posted..Day 2 of Hiking in Colombia: High Passes and Heavy Breathing
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 27th, 2013 at 8:07 pm
Oh how fun, Leigh! We were just looking at the calendar of the wine festivals. There’s even one in the Valais region where you spend 4 days hiking around 10 kilometers per day between the mountain wineries!
[Reply]
D.J. - The World of Deej
February 28, 2013 at 12:58 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Wine in Switzerland? I’m intrigued…
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Cirque du Soleil La Nouba at Downtown Disney
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 4:12 pm
You’ll have to go to Switzerland to try both the Swiss wine and fondue, Deej!
[Reply]
Randy Kalp
February 28, 2013 at 4:27 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Ooh La La! I had no idea. I’m already a huge fan of Swiss travel, so this is the icing on the cake.
Randy Kalp recently posted..The Best St. Patrick’s Day Getaways with Roomorama
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 4:26 pm
There are various wine festivals and even wine hikes throughout the summer months. We hope to get back over the summer to discover more about Swiss wine.
[Reply]
Peter Lee
March 1, 2013 at 12:09 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I am agree that Swiss wine is very good at taste. I really love swiss wine although I am not a big fan of wine and other drinks but good things deserves praise.
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
We weren’t big fans of wine before we moved to Europe. Wine is definitely an acquired taste and I think your tastes in wine even mature as you understand more about the production.
[Reply]
Blaise Chessup
March 26, 2013 at 2:06 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I would like to find some white Fondant from the Vaud region. Any ideas where I can get those around Washington, DC area?
[Reply]
Mandana
March 26, 2013 at 3:08 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
I always enjoy the Fondant that is the specialty of the Vaud region. I would love to find some in the Washington, DC area. There is a gourmet place called Rodman’s just between DC and Maryland and they sell some of the Swiss wines occasionally, but they complain about lack of volume by the distributor. I have not been able to find the Fondant though. It goes great with fish in summer time.
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
March 26th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
Sounds like a great excuse to visit Switzerland, Mandana! The production is so small it is hard to find Swiss wines outside of Switzerland.
[Reply]
Wine Wednesday: Südtirol Wine - Jdomb's Travels
March 6, 2013 at 11:13 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
[...] Brut Rose, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay. With how much we enjoyed the Swiss Pinot Noir, I knew we would like it before we even took a sip. The Franciacorta Brut Rose is a sparkling wine, [...]