The Winery Prelude of Eastern Switzerland

Discovering the wine region of Eastern Switzerland

St. Gallen is a German-speaking Canton of eastern Switzerland with a corresponding AOC. Much of the winegrowing that does occur within its borders takes place in the Rheintal region (the upper Rhein Valley) whose name often appears more prominently on labels. However, even here, wine production is not the dominant land-based industry.

Rheintal is a wine region which Lies at the far eastern edge of Switzerland, running North to South along the Swiss borders with Austria and Liechtenstein. As the name suggests ("tal" is a Germanic suffix denoting a valley), the focus of this region is the valley of the Rhein river – specifically the upper Rhein between Graubunden and Lake Constance. After making its way down from its source at the Tomasee, high in the Alps, the Rhein turns northwards, through the substantial valley it has carved out for itself over many millennia. Both broad and flat, this area is highly fertile, based on mineral-rich alluvium brought downriver from the mountains to the west.

This forms an oasis of Green among the dark grey ridges of the Alps. As such there are many alternative land uses which compete with viticulture, including habitation. Pinot Noir is the most commonly planted Grape. It is helped to ripen by the Warm föhn wind, known here as the "Traubenkocher" (grape cooker).