Three Swiss Wine Regions: Bündner Herrschaft, Valais & Lavaux

The Bündner Herrschaft encompasses 4 different villages along the Rhine Valley (Maienfeld, Jenins, Malans and Fläsch), with vines planted at a relatively low elevation for the canton (500-650m altitude). The vines benefit from warm winds called 'Föhn', which flow down the valley creating a special micro-climate, especially in the autumn. Valais vineyard area comes to around 4,800 hectares and is generally located on often steep slopes and terraces between flat fertile soils at the bottom of the valley and the bare rock of the mountainside. Set in the heart of the Alps, this valley enjoys a particularly dry (650 millimetres of rain per year) and sunny (2,500 hours per year) climate. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007, the Lavaux vineyard covers around 800 hectares between Lausanne and Montreux, overlooking the shores of Lake Geneva.

• Dramatic temperature differences between day and night play a vital role in producing high-quality wines in Bündner Herrschaft
• Valais enjoys around 2,500 hours of sunshine annually and is the driest wine-producing area in Switzerland, with an average annual rainfall of approximately 650 millimetres
• In Lavaux, the lake plays a key role in the vineyard, moderating temperatures and reflecting sunlight back onto the vines, with heat retained by stone walls ensuring even ripening

Pinot Noir is the clear leader in Bündner Herrschaft, with 75% of planted area, producing elegant, mineral-driven expressions. Petite Arvine has a reputation as a high-class grape variety, and is seen as the best white wine grape of the Valais. Petite Arvine gives a complete range of wines: the nervy dry version with its aromas of wisteria and grapefruit; the slightly sweet Petite Arvine with notes of rhubarb; and many sweet withered grape wines, often exceptionally concentrated, with very intense aromas of exotic fruits. Lavaux is the birthplace of great white wines, particularly Chasselas wines, the region's emblematic grape variety, producing elegant wines with lots of finesse and minerality.

• Graubünden Pinot Noirs are even more cool-climate oriented than Burgundy, with reife and full red fruit aromas, minerality and elegant acidity defining the wines
• Petite Arvine produces wines with intense aromas of grapefruit, rhubarb, passion fruit and a characteristic salty flavour
• Lavaux is known for producing steely white wines, mainly from the Chasselas grape, which generally goes by the name 'Fendant' throughout the country

Martha and Daniel Gantenbein in the Bündner Herrschaft region of Switzerland are famous for their Pinot Noirs; together they began cultivating vines in 1980 and founded their own winery in 1982. Weingut Donatsch (Malans) is a traditional winery that has produced Pinot Noir, Completer and Chardonnay on premium levels for five generations. Marie-Thérèse Chappaz, a winemaker and agricultural engineer specializing in oenology, took over the family estate in 1987. Marie-Thérèse Chappaz produces world-renowned wines such as Petite Arvine, Fendant, Ermitage, Pinot Noir and Grain noble. Louis Bovard in Cully is synonymous with Chasselas, being a perennial medallist at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and created the World Conservatory of Chasselas, researching 19 variants of the grape.

• Gantenbein became the epitome of top Swiss wines and helped elevate the entire Bündner Herrschaft's reputation internationally
• Marie-Thérèse Chappaz was crowned 'Swiss wine icon' by the Gault and Millau guide in 2015 and was awarded the title of 'Lady of Wine' at the Villa d'Este Wine Symposium
• La Maison Massy is now run by fourth-generation brothers Gregory and Benjamin, producing wines from a 1.7ha walled vineyard next to the grand 1630-built Massy residence

Pinot Noir dominates in the Bündner Herrschaft, where winemakers focus on sustainable cultivation and low yields to bring out the grape's full potential. Valais boasts 12 Grand Cru vineyard communes, or areas, each with specific grape varieties and restrictions on production. Dézaley and Calamin were the first sites in Switzerland to be awarded Grand Cru status, enjoying this designation until 2010, when Switzerland's wine authorities drew up a more extensive Premier and Grand Cru system. The Grand Cru status which Dézaley holds is quite distinct from the cuvée-specific Grand Cru status awarded to wines from other areas in Switzerland; in Dézaley and Calamin, it relates to the land rather than the wine made from it.

• Bündner Herrschaft operates under Swiss AOC regulations with Pinot Noir as the dominant varietal
• Valais features a Grand Cru system which operates in a few Swiss regions, with 12 Grand Cru vineyard communes, each with specific grape varieties and production restrictions
• Under cantonal law, the vineyards of Lavaux are protected from development; since July 2007, Lavaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

The wine culture in Bündner Herrschaft has a long tradition reaching back to Roman times, with archaeological finds confirming vine cultivation in antiquity; in the Middle Ages, monasteries and local lords cultivated vines. Since the 1980s, the region has experienced a remarkable renaissance, driven by pioneers who focused on natural cultivation, low yields and artisanal winemaking. Petite Arvine comes 100% from Valais, first mentioned in 1602 in the vineyards of the hamlet of Molignon above Sion. Although there is some evidence that vines were grown in Lavaux in Roman times, the actual vine terraces can be traced back to the 11th century, when Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries controlled the area. A significant element of Lavaux's cultural living landscape is the 450 km network of stone walls, built initially by the Cistercian monks, which form the 10,000 Lavaux vineyard terraces.

• The name 'Herrschaft' derives from four historical court districts (Maienfeld, Malans, Jenins and Fläsch) that served as 'administrative territories' of the High Chapter of Chur
• At the 1878 meeting of the International Research Society for Viticulture in Geneva, experts examined grapes from Valais and confirmed the regional designation Petite Arvine and its local origin
• Nature and Man have worked in harmony over the last almost 1,000 years in Lavaux to create this unique landscape

The Bündner Herrschaft is centred on the villages of Maienfeld, Malans, Jenins and Fläsch, where visitors can explore wine regions through vineyard walks and cellar visits. Fully is the capital of the Petite Arvine grape in Valais, offering high-altitude tasting experiences and regional wine pairings. At 800 hectares, the terraced vineyards of the UNESCO region Lavaux form Switzerland's largest contiguous vineyard area, with names like St-Saphorin, Dézaley and Epesses rolling easily off the tongue of fine wine fans, and views from the Lavaux vineyards set high above Lake Geneva providing the perfect backdrop for wine lovers.

• A footpath of 32 km in length leads from Lausanne-Ouchy to Chillon Castle in Lavaux, with 7 circuits complete with information panels detailing every facet of local viticulture
• Marie-Thérèse Chappaz's estate covers 10 hectares and is cultivated biodynamically in Fully, available for visits by appointment
• The blue-yellow 'Train des Vignes' winds its way from Vevey through the lush green vineyards up to Puidoux-Chexbres in Lavaux in just twelve minutes