Swiss wine
Swiss wine is produced from nearly Script error: No such module "convert". of vineyards, and the wines are mainly produced in the west and in the south of Switzerland, in the cantons of Geneva, Neuchâtel, Ticino, Valais and Vaud. White grape varieties are grown on 43% of the country's vineyard area, and red grape varieties on 57%.[1]
According to the Swiss Federal Office of Agriculture, Swiss wine production in 2019 was just over Script error: No such module "convert"., almost equal amounts red and white.[1]
Nearly all the national production is drunk within the national boundaries;[2] less than 2% of the wine is exported (mainly to Germany). For example, in 2019, only 13,193 hectolitres were exported.[1] Switzerland ranks in the top 10 of per capita consumption of wine,[2] and as of 1983 imported two thirds of it, including more Beaujolais than the United States.[3] In 2019, 1,784,371 hectolitres of wine consumed was imported, compared to 945,585 hectolitres of domestic wine consumed.[1]
History
The tradition of wine and viticulture in Switzerland is very old, beginning no later than the Roman era. Coming from the Mediterranean basin, viticulture was generally introduced from the 1st century AD, after integration into the Roman Empire. Ticino and Upper Valais are perhaps exceptions: it is possible that the cultivated vine (Vitis vinifera) was introduced from the Iron Age south of the Alps and that it then crossed the Alpine passes.[4]
The oldest recorded bottle, made in ceramic, was found near Sembrancher (Valais), in a Celtic tomb of a lady of 2nd century BC. An inscription on the bottle indicates that it contained wine. Around the 150s BC, in the Celtic era, the people in Valais offered wine to the dead, and probably they also drank the same wine. After a century, the Roman amphorae also appeared.
Vineyards became an integral part of the Swiss landscape. The most extensive terraced vineyards are found in Valais and Lavaux.
Geography and climate
Six wine regions are defined by Swiss Wine Promotion, an association that represents Swiss winemakers.[5] They are: Geneva, German-speaking Switzerland, Three Lakes (including Neuchatel, Fribourg, and part of the canton of Bern), Ticino, Vaud, and Valais.[6]
Switzerland is a fairly small country with great diversity in climate and soils due to the Alps. Ticino, on the southern side, has a sunnier climate more influenced by the Mediterranean, while the rest of the country, being on the north side, are more affected by weather coming off the Atlantic Ocean.[7] Contrary to northern Switzerland, there is also a tradition of olive oil-making in Ticino, possibly also since the Roman Era.[8]
Grape varieties
The two most common grape varieties in Switzerland are the red Pinot noir at around 30% and the white Chasselas at around 27%. A large number of grape varieties are cultivated in Switzerland, many of them indigenous or regional specialties. Some 90 grape varieties are cultivated on an area of Script error: No such module "convert". or more.[9]
Common grape varieties in Switzerland (2009, all varieties greater than 50 ha)[9] Variety Color Synonym(s) Area (%) Area (ha) Pinot noir red Blauburgunder 29.7 4402 Chasselas white Gutedel 27.1 4013 Gamay red 10.2 1514 Merlot red 6.9 1028 Müller-Thurgau white 3.3 493 Gamaret red 2.6 380 Chardonnay white 2.2 321 Sylvaner white Rhin 1.6 241 Pinot gris white Malvoisie 1.5 216 Garanoir red 1.4 203 Syrah red 1.2 181 Petite Arvine white 1.0 154 Sauvignon blanc white 0.9 134 Humagne rouge red 0.9 128 Cornalin red Landroter 0.8 116 Diolinoir red 0.8 112 Pinot blanc white 0.7 105 Savagnin blanc white Heida 0.6 83 Cabernet Sauvignon red 0.4 63 Cabernet Franc red 0.4 54 All white varieties 42.1 6245 All red varieties 57.9 8574 Grand total 100.0 14820
Other grapes grown in Switzerland include hybrid varieties like Muscat bleu which had Script error: No such module "convert". in cultivation for commercial winemaking 2009.[10]
Classification
For a long time, Switzerland lacked detailed national regulations regarding wine classification, which meant that it was to a large extent up to wine producers about what to put on wine labels; neither a German wine-style Prädikat system nor a French wine-style appellation system was implemented, and as a non-EU member, Switzerland did not have to implement European Union wine regulations.[11] Wines were usually labelled by their village of origin, by grape variety, or using a brand name. From the late 1980s, though, a French-style Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system started to be implemented, starting with the Canton of Geneva. These regulations are mainly implemented by the cantons themselves.
Wine styles
Over the years, the Swiss have developed a number of unique specialty wines from grapes rarely found outside Switzerland. These include:
- Vin des glaciers—a sherry-style wine that utilizes a solera system of wine stored in larch wood or oak barrels that are never fully emptied with newer vintages being added to the barrels containing the older vintages.[12] The wines are primarily made from the Swiss wine grape Rèze in Valais canton.[13]
See also
- Oeil de Perdrix
- Olive production in Switzerland
- Agriculture in Switzerland
- Old World wine
- Winemaking
References
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- ↑ a b Office fédéral de l’agriculture OFAG: Das Weinjahr 2009 / L'année d'viticole 2009 Template:Webarchive.
- ↑ J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz. Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours, p. 687, Allen Lane 2012 Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ My Switzerland "Vin des glaciers - Le "sherry" du Valais" Official Switzerland Tourism Site. Accessed: August 18th, 2012.
- ↑ J. Robinson. Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes, p. 152, Oxford University Press 1996 Template:ISBN.
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Further reading
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External links
- Documentary about Heroic Viticulture in Valais
- swisswine.ch, the trade organisation promoting Swiss Wines
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