Swiss wine and beer
Swiss people enjoy drinking wine and beer – especially those produced locally. However, while wine has been produced and consumed in Switzerland for centuries, beer only became established in the 19th century.
Viniculturists grow wine grapes throughout practically all of Switzerland. But most of the country’s wine production is concentrated in a few well-known regions: 33% of Switzerland’s wine-growing area is in canton Valais and 26% is in canton Vaud. Although the vineyards are home to more than 200 different grape varieties, the market is dominated by a few prominent ones, with pinot noir, chasselas, gamay and merlot being the most widespread grape types.
In the case of wine, the grapes generally come from Switzerland and the production steps take place here as well. This is not yet the case with beer. Specifically, only 1 percent of the malting barley and 10 percent of the processed hops come from Switzerland. The reasons for these low percentages are varied: climatic conditions, subsidies, tradition. However, malting barley can now be malted (germinated and dried) in Switzerland – until recently, this part of the process was performed in neighbouring countries.
Today, beer is by far and away the most consumed alcoholic beverage in Switzerland. On average, each person drinks 55 litres each year. The consumption of non-alcoholic beer is also on the rise: having still only accounted for less than 3 percent of the total market as recently as 2010, it now already has a market share of almost 6 percent. Switzerland is today home to more than 1,100 breweries, with more than 95 percent of them run as small-scale operations.
Swiss people drink about 32 litres of wine per person per year, two-thirds of which is red wine. The market share of Swiss wines in Switzerland stands at a good 36%.
Regional produce for you
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Types of wine
A basic distinction is drawn between red wine, white wine, rosé and sparkling wine. Red wine is obtained from blue grapes and is fermented on the skins to extract their pigment. With white wine, only the juice is fermented, and white grape varieties are usually used to make it. Rosés are light pink wines made from red grapes and are produced in the same manner as white wine. With sparkling wine, in contrast, part of the fermentation process takes place inside the bottle. The resulting carbon dioxide produced makes the beverage fizzy.
Hops and malting barley
Beers contains a minimum of hops, malt, water and yeast. No other country in Europe has a higher density of breweries than Switzerland – yet virtually all of its hops and malting barley have to be imported.
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Labels and programmes
Swiss farmers are required to meet strict conditions in order to receive direct payments. Many farming families voluntarily participate in other programmes and produce label products.
