Scurrying around in blue suits, the Gnomes of Zurich, seem too busy chasing daydreams and misconceptions about happiness to consider that just outside of town is the largest and most important Swiss wine region in German-speaking Switzerland.

Up until the 1960's, the wine industry around Zurich was not impressive. Then science and technology worked to improve quality and increase productivity, the labor intensive “Stickelbau” method for supporting the vine gave way to the more practical Drahtbau, and viticulture became a viable business. Today more than half the 171 municipalities of Zurich produce wine grapes.