Swiss Wine Tourism
Practical notes
The majority of Swiss wineries are small, family-run operations with very limited manpower.
◦ Many wineries do not maintain regular opening hours◦ Some may open only on Saturday mornings◦ Only a small number of larger wineries operate with consistent hours throughout the week◦ Most wineries open during “Open Cellar” (Caves Ouvertes) days, when multiple producers welcome visitors simultaneously - swisswine.com/en/open-wine-cellarsOpening hours and tasting availability are typically listed on each winery’s website, so advance checking (or booking) is essential.
Switzerland Offers
◦ Structured tastings◦ Learning about regional wines◦ Guided vineyard toursWine-focused hiking and driving routes
Several regions provide well-marked vineyard trails and sign-posted wine roads, allowing you to combine scenery with wine discovery.
◦ Valais◦ Vaud | Lavaux (UNESCO World Heritage Site)◦ Vaud | La Côte◦ Grisons/GraubündenSwiss Wine Promotion - Wine Tourism official page - swisswine.com/en/wine-tourism
My Switzerland - Wine Tourism - myswitzerland.com/en/experiences/summer-autumn/oenotourism/
My Switzerland - Hiking Through a Vineyard - myswitzerland.com/en/experiences/summer-autumn/hiking/hiking-search/throughvineyard/
My Switzerland - Educational Trails - myswitzerland.com/en/experiences/summer-autumn/oenotourism/wine-trails/
TSWS Google Map with winery locations, wine museums, restaurants, photo points, wine trials and routes - googlemap.theswisswinestore.com
TSWS Resources Page with PDF booklets, AOC Maps, Regional Associations - resources.theswisswinestore.com
Wineries with regular open hours [check winery websites for latest information; booking recommended/required]
Neuchâtel | Château d'Auvernier - chateau-auvernier.ch/en/visits-tastings [Mon to Fri 07h30 to 12h00 | 13h30 to 17h30; Sat 10h00 to 12h00]
Vaud | Domaine La Colombe - lacolombe.ch/en/contact/tastings/ [Mon to Fri 13-18h; Sat 10-12h30]
Vaud | Lavaux | Domaine du Daley - daley.ch/en/events/cellars-tour-wine-tasting/ [Mon to Sat 9h30 to 19h00]
Luzern | Weingut Kastanienbaum - weingut-kastanienbaum.ch [Sat 10-13h]
Grisons/Graubünden | Weingut Donatsch - en.donatsch.info/winzerstube [Wine Tavern Wed to Sat 11-20h]
Valais | Les Celliers de Sion - celliers.ch/en/ [Mon to Sun 10-20h]
Valais | Provins - provins.ch [Mon to Fri 9-18h30, Sat 9-17h]
Oenothèques/Oenotecas/Vinothèques/Vinoteks
Vaud | Lavaux | Lavaux Vinorama - lavaux-vinorama.ch [Mon to Sat 10h30-20h; Sun 10h30-19h]
Vaud | La Côte | Maison des Vins de La Côte - maisondesvins.ch [Wed 16-20h; Thu to Sat 11-20h; Sun 11-19h]
Vaud | Chablais | Château d'Aigle museum + oenotourism - chateauaigle.ch & chateauaigle.ch/oenotourisme/ [seasonal hours check website]
Valais | La Maison de la Petite Arvine - maisonpetitesarvines.ch [Tue to Thu 11-20h; Fri to Sat 11-21h; Sun 11-20h]
Valais | Château de Villa - chateaudevilla.ch [Mon to Sun 10-23h][largest selection of Valais wines + infamous raclette tasting at the restaurant]
Valais | Musée des Vins du Valais - museeduvin-valais.ch/en/ [Wed to Fri 14-18h; Sat & Sun 11-18h; Mar to Nov only]
Highly Recommended
◦ CGN belle-époque steamers - A must in Lavaux is to cruise the lake with the CGN belle-époque steamers heading from village to village. One can take the boat from a village to another, then reconnect by trek, bus or train.
CGN cruises on Lac Léman - montreuxriviera.com/fr/P627/croisieres-sur-le-lac-leman-cgn
Regional overview - youtube.com/watch?v=qfSWz4Xd8KY
◦ Treks in Lavaux including connecting routes car/bus/train/boat - two very iuseful maps:
◦ shop.theswisswinestore.com/files/plan-de-randonnees-montreux-vevey-et-lavaux.pdf
◦ shop.theswisswinestore.com/files/1694439417-guide-touristique-lavaux-1897.pdf
◦ Château d'Aigle - Located in Chablais by the end of the Lac Léman, Château d'Aigle, a medieval castle in the mid of the vineyards houses a wine museum in a stunning Alpine setting - chateauaigle.ch
◦ Valais Wine Trail - Le Chemin du Vignoble a 65 km wine trail from Martigny to Leuk with otineries by foot, bike, or car - cheminduvignoble.ch
Books & Guides
◦ TSWS HK Selection - shop.theswisswinestore.com/112-books-dvd
◦ Switzerland: The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide - amazon.com/Switzerland-Smart-Travellers-Wine-Guide/dp/1917084692
◦ Wine Hiking Switzerland: Explore the Landscape of Swiss Wines - amazon.com/Wine-Hiking-Switzerland-Explore-Landscape/dp/390729386X/