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.

The wine producing areas around Zurich are divided into four zones: Lake Zurich, Limmattal, Unterland, and Weinland. Of the nearly 900 grape growers in the Zurch region, 124 are active in vinification, accounting for 43% of sales. The co-operatives follow with 37% and the retail wine trade with 20% of wine sales.

Few grapevines are as abused by the cold, wind, and fog as the wine grapes in the hills of Zurich. Given the conditions, the wine grapes that do well here are of the fast-ripening variety; with Riesling x Sylvaner (Müller Thurgau) and the Blaubergunder (Pinot Noir), as the most planted wine grapes, for white wine and red wine, respectively. Even so, success would be limited if not for the temperature regulating effects from Lake Zurich.

The result is a Swiss wine region that produces wines in a series of styles, from elegant white wines, tannic red wines capable of aging, to opulent Ice wines.