The Zurich wine region

About 150 years ago, both shores of Lake Zurich were covered with vineyards stretching for nearly 2,000 hectares from Rapperswil to Zurich. Today, just over 130 hectares remain in the canton, accounting for about a fifth of Zurich’s total vineyard area.

This wine region not only extends beyond the lakeshore districts of Meilen and Horgen, but also includes newly planted vineyards in Zurich City and the districts of Uster, Pfäffikon, Hinwil, and Knonau.

A regional specialty is Räuschling, a native white grape often referred to as the “Lake Zurich Vine.” Vintners take pride in this grape, which is considered the flagship of their wines.

While cities like Geneva and Lausanne have lost their urban vineyards, Zurich proudly maintains nearly 15 hectares of vineyards within the city limits. These plots, planted with Pinot Noir, Räuschling, Müller-Thurgau and Chardonnay, are the remnants of once extensive vineyards that fell victim to phylloxera and urbanisation.

The Limmattal region, located in the Dietikon district, is Zurich’s smallest wine region with around 30 hectares. The villages along the Limmat, including Oetwil, Weiningen, Unter- and Oberengstringen, and Urdorf, are proud of having successfully preserved their winemaking traditions despite urban pressures from western Zurich.

The soils here feature a base of Jura limestone with marl, moraines, and deposits from glaciers and rivers. The region predominantly produces red wines, with its Pinot Noir being particularly dense and robustly structured.

The Zurich Unterland wine region spans about 145 hectares across the districts of Dielsdorf and Bülach. Characterised by rolling hills and varied landscapes, it is dotted with picturesque wine-growing villages. The region stretches from Zurich Airport, along the tranquil Rhine, to the secluded Rafzerfeld area.

Winterthur lies at the heart of the Winterthur Wine Region, encompassing 80 hectares. Together with its surrounding wine-growing villages, the city serves as a gateway to this area. The region has a long winemaking history, evidenced by having the oldest winemaking association in the canton.

In 1999, Hanspeter Wehrli, then president of the association, introduced the concept of open cellar days. By 2001, about 20 wineries from the Lake Zurich region joined, and by 2010, the event had expanded across all of German-speaking Switzerland. Today, it is held in every wine region in Switzerland.

The Zurich Wine Country, located in the Andelfingen district, stretches from the Irchel and Kohlfirst hills to the Stammheimer Zipfel. With approximately 220 hectares, it is the largest wine-growing region in the canton. The climate here is mild and sunny.

The traditional half-timbered villages are characteristic of the region and give it a distinctive charm. Still predominantly rural, the area is known not only for its namesake grapes but also for cultivating asparagus, melons, tobacco, and hops.