The Winery Azienda Vinicola L'Orizzonte Bellinzona of Ticino

Discovering the wine region of Ticino

Ticino is a relatively small wine region in the alpine South of Switzerland, prized for its Merlot, and located along its border with Italy. The wine region's borders follow those of the canton of Ticino, a primarily Italian-speaking enclave in the landlocked multilingual country (the canton is called "Tessin" by the French and German speakers). Vineyard">Vineyards in region cover just over 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) and are centred around the rivers and large, alpine lakes of the canton. The latter are a major tourist attraction - much like the lake of Como, just 5km (3 miles) from Ticino's southernmost tip - and they all share water with Italy.

Merlot is the flagship variety here. This Bordeaux variety, which may seem an unusual variety of preference for a Swiss wine region, was introduced to Ticino in the early 20th century. It makes up just over 80 percent of the entire vineyard area and has been so successful, it has been given its own appellation: Merlot del Ticino. This can be relatively light or – when from the warmer, sunnier vineyards and carefully vinified with oak – as fine and well Structured as good red Bordeaux.

Other varieties include Chardonnay (4 percent) and Sauvignon Blanc (1. 7 percent). In total, white wines only represent nine percent of the regional output. Other than Merlot, reds include (in order of planting area) Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and one of Switzerland's "indigenous" crossings: Gamaret.