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Swiss wine: the regions, grapes and styles

Six regions, Chasselas and Pinot Noir, Petite Arvine and Cornalin in the Valais, Lavaux's terraces, Ticino Merlot and the German-speaking east, with a short quiz.

Alper Billik · Advanced Sommelier

Updated October 2026 · 5 min read · Edited with AI

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On this page
  1. The six regions at a glance
  2. Valais: the sunny Rhône
  3. Vaud and Lavaux
  4. Geneva and the Three Lakes
  5. Ticino: Merlot in Italian
  6. German-speaking Switzerland
  7. How Swiss wine tastes
  8. Quick quiz: Switzerland
  9. Questions people ask

The short answer: Switzerland makes small amounts of very particular wine, and drinks most of it at home. There are six wine regions: Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Ticino, the Three Lakes and German-speaking Switzerland. The most planted grapes are Pinot Noir, Chasselas, Gamay and Merlot. Learn which language each region speaks, because that tells you its grapes.

The six regions at a glance

Valais
WhereThe upper Rhône valley, French and German-speaking
Main grapesPinot Noir, Chasselas (Fendant), Gamay, Petite Arvine, Cornalin, Humagne Rouge
StyleSunny, dry, steep; the biggest region
Vaud
WhereLake Geneva to Lake Neuchâtel
Main grapesChasselas, Pinot Noir, Gamay
StyleLake-side terraces; place-named Chasselas
Geneva
WhereAround the city, west of the lake
Main grapesChasselas (Perlan), Gamay, Pinot Noir, Gamaret
StyleGentle slopes; third-largest area
Three Lakes
WhereNeuchâtel, Lake Biel, Vully
Main grapesChasselas, Pinot Noir
StyleŒil-de-Perdrix rosé, fresh whites
Ticino
WhereItalian-speaking south
Main grapesMerlot
StyleMerlot in every style
German-speaking Switzerland
WhereSixteen cantons of the north and east
Main grapesPinot Noir (Blauburgunder), Müller-Thurgau (Riesling-Sylvaner), Räuschling
StyleCool, fresh, Burgundian reds

Valais: the sunny Rhône

About a third of Swiss vines grow here, on steep, often terraced slopes along the upper Rhône, one of the driest and sunniest corners of the country, with a warm foehn wind that helps late grapes ripen. Valais has its own AOC Valais and Grand Cru communes.

  • Fendant: the Valais name for Chasselas.
  • Petite Arvine: the great native white: citrus, rhubarb, a salty finish; dry or sweet.
  • Amigne and Humagne Blanche: rare native whites; Amigne is a speciality of Vétroz.
  • Cornalin and Humagne Rouge: native reds, dark and spicy.
  • Dôle: a red blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay.
  • Sweet wines from late-picked, shrivelled grapes.

Vaud and Lavaux

Vaud is Chasselas country, from the north shore of Lake Geneva to Lake Neuchâtel. The wines are often labelled by place rather than grape: Yvorne, Féchy, Dézaley. The terraced vineyards of Lavaux, between Lausanne and Montreux, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, and hold the Grand Crus Dézaley and Calamin. More in Vaud wine region.

Geneva and the Three Lakes

  • Geneva: Switzerland's third production area; Chasselas (locally Perlan), Gamay, Pinot Noir and the Swiss crossings Gamaret and Garanoir.
  • Three Lakes: Neuchâtel, Lake Biel and Vully. Neuchâtel is known for Œil-de-Perdrix, a pale Pinot Noir rosé, and for unfiltered Chasselas.

Ticino: Merlot in Italian

In the Italian-speaking south, with a milder, more southern climate between the Alps and the lakes of Lugano and Maggiore, Merlot covers more than 80% of the vines. It arrived in the early twentieth century, after phylloxera (1906 is the date usually given). Styles run from light and fruity to oak-aged and serious, and there is even white Merlot (*Merlot bianco*). The appellation is Ticino DOC; Monte Ceneri divides the canton into the Sopraceneri (north) and the Sottoceneri (south).

German-speaking Switzerland

Sixteen cantons in the north and east, cool and close to Germany. Pinot Noir, called Blauburgunder, is the main red; Müller-Thurgau, still called Riesling-Sylvaner here, is the main white. It was bred by Hermann Müller, a scientist from the canton of Thurgau, at Geisenheim in Germany. Local specialities include Räuschling and Completer.

  • Zurich: the largest area of the east, with vineyards around Lake Zurich (the AOC Zürichsee) and the Rhine; Pinot Noir, Müller-Thurgau and Räuschling.
  • Schaffhausen: on the Rhine by the German border, next to Germany's Baden; above all Blauburgunder, around villages such as Hallau.
  • Graubünden and the Bündner Herrschaft: in the far east, around Maienfeld, Malans, Jenins and Fläsch; some of Switzerland's finest Pinot Noir, helped by the warm foehn.
  • Thurgau, Aargau, St Gallen and Basel: smaller areas, mostly Pinot Noir and Müller-Thurgau.

How Swiss wine tastes

  • Chasselas: low in aroma, gentle in acid; lime blossom, pear, a mineral, sometimes smoky finish. Many go through malolactic fermentation, which softens them further. It shows its place more than its grape.
  • Pinot Noir: fresh and light in the west, fuller and more Burgundian in the Bündner Herrschaft.
  • Merlot del Ticino: supple, plummy, from easy to cellar-worthy.
  • Natives: Petite Arvine and Cornalin are the ones to taste first.

With food, think of the mountains: Chasselas with fondue and raclette, perch from the lake, or air-dried meat; Pinot Noir with veal and game; Merlot with risotto and polenta. Producers often named for quality include Marie-Thérèse Chappaz and Michel Boven in the Valais, and Christian Dugon in Vaud.

Quick quiz: Switzerland

Question 1

What is Chasselas called in the Valais?

  1. a)Perlan
  2. b)Fendant
  3. c)Dorin
  4. d)Räuschling
Show answer

b) Fendant. Fendant in the Valais; Perlan in Geneva; Dorin is an old Vaud name.

Question 2

Which grape dominates Ticino?

  1. a)Pinot Noir
  2. b)Nebbiolo
  3. c)Merlot
  4. d)Gamay
Show answer

c) Merlot. More than 80% of Ticino's vines are Merlot.

Question 3

Dôle is a blend of...

  1. a)Pinot Noir and Gamay
  2. b)Merlot and Cabernet
  3. c)Cornalin and Humagne Rouge
  4. d)Chasselas and Sylvaner
Show answer

a) Pinot Noir and Gamay. Valais's classic red blend.

Question 4

Which region's terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

  1. a)Lavaux
  2. b)Hallau
  3. c)Sopraceneri
  4. d)Vully
Show answer

a) Lavaux. Lavaux, in Vaud, since 2007.

Question 5

What is Müller-Thurgau called in Switzerland?

  1. a)Blauburgunder
  2. b)Riesling-Sylvaner
  3. c)Completer
  4. d)Petite Arvine
Show answer

b) Riesling-Sylvaner. The old name, still used on Swiss labels.

Question 6

Maienfeld, Malans, Jenins and Fläsch are in...

  1. a)The Valais
  2. b)The Bündner Herrschaft
  3. c)Ticino
  4. d)Geneva
Show answer

b) The Bündner Herrschaft. Graubünden's best Pinot Noir villages.

Next door, read Austria for Level 1 and Germany for Level 1. For daily questions on every region, SOMM DIGI AI has 3,000+ exam-prep questions, free to start.

Quiz yourself with SOMM DIGI AILevel 1 practice test

Questions people ask

What are the wine regions of Switzerland?

Six: Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Ticino, the Three Lakes (Neuchâtel, Lake Biel, Vully) and German-speaking Switzerland.

What is the most planted grape in Switzerland?

Pinot Noir, then Chasselas, Gamay and Merlot, according to Swiss Wine.

Why is Swiss wine hard to find abroad?

Switzerland makes little wine and drinks most of it at home, so few bottles are exported.

What does Chasselas taste like?

Delicate and low in acid, with pear, lime blossom and a mineral finish. It shows where it grew more than the grape itself.

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