Swiss Wine Introduction

Speaking of wine, you might first think of France. But the Swiss, especially French-speaking Switzerland and French wine culture, the same strain, from the northern shore of Lake Geneva along the eastward extension of Raymond, until the hinterland of the Alps, vineyards everywhere.

Swiss viticulture at least thousand years of history, grape growing industry in Switzerland account for a large proportion of agriculture. Switzerland is located in Central Europe was France, Italy, surrounded by Germany and Austria. Swiss pocket are not only geographically surrounded by three wine producing power, even more than the wine name has been near the drowned king three wines. Speaking from the geographic latitude, in northern Switzerland, the ring suitable for grape growing. However, Switzerland is more mountainous, country of many lakes. Towering Alps and the Jura Mountains account for about 70% of land area, beautiful Lake Geneva is the largest freshwater lake in Western Europe. Even the Swiss wine occasionally heard of people will wonder at how such a landscape on the kinds of grapes and wine?
Most wines with old world European countries, Switzerland reclaimed wine garden, planting grapes and brewing wine dating back to Roman times. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Christianity and religious ceremonies continued grape growing and wine, and through long years of the Middle Ages. With the passage of time, wine from the role of religion into Swiss society and an important part of life. Wine than its more famous Swiss per capita annual consumption of wine has been among the highest in the world.
In the international wine scene and is not easy to hear, see, drink Swiss wines is another important reason is that it has been very little exports. Switzerland, the average annual production of about 110 million liters of wine, seems a lot, but only to meet their needs around 40%. Therefore, their wine, especially wine are consumed locally. In recent years, this situation has changed. Some International Wine Competition, in particular the World Pinot Noir Wine Competition success on the Swiss wine pouring. Graceful living in purdah, she began to appear in the world before, amazing.

Swiss wine region is divided into six. Including winery focused southwest 3: The most western end of Geneva, east of Vaud (Vaud) and Valais (Valais), central and southern Ticino (Ticino), the three lakes in northwestern areas, and to Zurich-based Northeast areas. Switzerland is a reference to the French wine regulatory system of denomination of origin (AOC) to develop, also known as AOC.

Many varieties of grapes grown in Switzerland. Widely planted white grapes are: Chasselas, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay and PinotBlanc etc.; red grapes are Pinot Noir, Gamay, Merlot and Syrah and so on. Chasselas grapes are the earliest human species. And only in Switzerland will fully develop their potential and characteristics and use. Spawn compelling, diverse and delicate white wine, white wine called the Swiss ambassador. Noble and sensitive Pinot Noir grown in Switzerland has a long history and good performance in most areas has grown. Repeated on the international competition it can be said to enjoy winning the rising star of the Swiss wine. In addition to mainstream and well-known varieties, there are 40 kinds of ancient Switzerland, local and rare, some unique grape varieties of the Swiss and the Swiss legendary wealth.

Although the pocket, but the Swiss, has a diverse microclimate and soil characteristics. Relatively warm hot south, such as the Ticino producing a Mediterranean climate characteristics; north side cold, such as the Northeast and the neighboring areas of Germany. Historically, Switzerland was formed by the fusion of different ethnic groups, with cultural heritage and cultural characteristics of diversity. Southwest is the French-speaking areas in the north German area, but South Africa is the Italian region of Ticino. With grape varieties, many diversity factors that constitute a mix of Swiss wine style.