The wind whips through vineyards clinging to the steep south-facing terraces overlooking the Rhône valley. Most of the vineyards in Valais are between Martigny and Leuk, and peaking at 1,100 meters in Visperterminen (Upper Valais), they are among the highest and most dramatic vineyards in Europe.

The Swiss are eclectic, life is comfortable in Switzerland, and the Swiss have been quietly gathering the best of what’s around them: you see it in the food, fashion, and lifestyle, and the collection area isn’t limited to the immediate neighbors of Austria, Germany, Italy and France. The Swiss are a far traveling nation.

This Swiss eclectic nature extends to their taste in wine, in which they indulge extensively; consistently in the upper percentile of per capita wine consumption. So extensively in fact, that very little Swiss wine gets exported. Surprising when you consider that many Swiss aren’t even aware that wine is produced in Switzerland at all.

Recent excavations by the University in Basel, in sediment from Lake du Mont d’Orge, has provided evidence (increases in pollen concentrations), that grapes were cultivated in Valais, Switzerland, almost 3000 years ago.

Thanks to current efforts on the part of some of the vinyards in Valais, you can now find wine made with some of the first grapes ever cultivated, grapes found nowhere else.

(pronounciation: Zsur-ē-Gshnetz-lets)

A satisfiying speciality of Zürich, Züri-Gschnätzlets is a ragout made with veal, a white wine sauce and mushrooms. It is traditionally served with Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns). There are variations with onions, parsley, lemon zest, etc...

As to which wine, well, in that battle I claim neutrality. One side opts for one of the elegant Swiss white wines such as a Pinot grigio or Grüner Veltliner. The other side prefers the subtle Blauburgunder (Pinot noir). In either case you won't have trouble finding one made locally.