Expert’s Choice: 18 Swiss reds and whites you need to try

The grapes for the Strada sparkling range come from Hallau in Schaffhausen, home to the largest contiguous vineyard in German-speaking Switzerland. This is a play on the Prosecco style, but with 100% Pinot Noir. Like Prosecco, it undergoes its second fermentation in a closed tank. With aromas of fresh pear and some yeasty nuances, this makes for an easy quaffer at parties or as an aperitif.

The Les Titans wines are aged in barrel inside high-elevation dams, in this case at 2,200m within La Grande Dixence. The low pressure, high humidity and cool, stable temperatures of 4°-5°C slow the ageing process, giving the wines greater elegance, expressiveness and freshness. With a gorgeously silky yet firm mineral texture and notes of flowers, white peach, lime zest and brioche, this is a glorious expression of Petite Arvine.

This profound, delicious wine combines Petite Arvine with the rarer Humagne Blanche, known for its fuller body and herbal/floral characteristics. The two were fermented and aged separately in barrel for 18 months before being blended and further aged in steel. The wine reveals a gorgeous palate of nectarine, lime zest and brioche, wrapped in a cashew-like creaminess

Vaud hosts 10 AOCs, including three grands crus sculpted into Lavaux’s terraced slopes. Of these, Dézaley produces some of the area’s most concentrated, ageworthy and powerful Chasselas. This displays a copious, penetrating nose and a mouthfilling core of fruit and spice. Notes of lemon and quince are buttressed by zesty white pepper and star anise.

A former co-op, Provins is Switzerland’s largest producer. The Chapitre Heida comes from vines grown on steep terraces with thin, limestone-schist soils. While its nose is fragrant with white pineapple, dried nectarine, pears and spice, its palate delivers an almost sappy, vinous character. It’s aged in amphorae, highlighting the variety’s alluring character and retaining freshness.

Château Maison Blanche produces one of Vaud’s finest Chasselas, but it also makes an excellent Savagnin Blanc (also known as Traminer). The grape can ripen well, but the estate has been dialling it back for a more mineral style. Fresh, with notes of sugarloaf pineapple, lime, acacia and beeswax. A refined, chiselled wine with hints of gunflint on the finish.

Catherine Cruchon-Griggs produces biodynamic wines that are true expressions of purity and minerality. She makes five Chasselas grands crus, including Au Clos. Wonderfully delineated on the palate, this youthful 2024 exudes delicate floral notes and gently succulent orchard fruits. Crunchy and bright for a Chasselas, which is typically rounder. A great combination of terroir and savoir-faire.

From one of the leading estates in Valais, this Petite Arvine, grown on the emblematic glacial moraine and clay shale soils, is one of the region’s most classical and pretty examples. Slightly shy on the nose, it opens on the palate with appealing notes of peach, fennel seed, white grapefruit and rhubarb. Its fresh acidity would easily allow this to be served as an aperitif, though its fuller body would make it a good match for fish and seafood.

Räuschling is one of Switzerland’s most interesting indigenous white grapes. This fragrant, zesty variety is the starlet around Zurich, with small amounts found in a few other German-speaking cantons. Aromatic and fresh, this displays red and green apple aromas layered with grassy notes and white flowers. Snappy acidity adds crunch and lift, while the texture remains smooth and plump. A discreet, stylish wine with plenty of character.

The region of Neuchâtel is known for its world-class Pinot Noir and Oeil de Perdrix rosé, but top-notch Chasselas is also produced here. This version from Domaine de Montmollin is unfiltered, so it retains a touch of cloudiness, yet all the more flavour. It opens with a lovely citrus nose, with gentle notes of acacia and orange blossom. Fresh and bright, yet also a little fleshy.

Aigle les Murailles is one of the region’s more iconic wines, sometimes referred to as the ‘lizard wine’ due to its distinctive label. Made from 100% Chasselas, this youthful 2024 opens with a touch of sweet, candied green apple, pear and lime curd. Gently exuberant, this characterful wine could be easily enjoyed on its own or to accompany a meal such as cheese fondue, or even with lake fish.

Johannisberg, the Swiss name for Sylvaner, is grown mostly in Valais. It’s appreciated for its expressive fruit aromas and spice while embracing a slightly fuller body. An elegant, discreet nose, with fresh slate minerality and spice. With air, it opens up nicely, displaying peaches, fresh grapes, a touch of quince and underlying salinity. Notably Sylvaner in character and quite a charmer, especially once it opens up in the glass.

A variety mainly grown in Vaud, Doral is a cross of Chasselas and Chardonnay, aimed at creating a fuller-bodied, aromatic version of Chasselas with more lift and acidity. Cave de la Côte’s Expression Doral embodies these attributes well, with succulent white peach, lacy elderflower and lemongrass. Its appealing fruit core suggests sweetness, but it remains dry. A moderately simple wine, but with plenty of enticing character.

First documented in the 17th century, Amigne is one of Valais’ rarest indigenous varieties. Though it can produce dry wine, it often hits high notes when produced as an off-dry or sweet wine. This late-harvested 2022, from partially dried grapes, exudes gorgeous notes of orange blossom honey, Mirabelle confiture, baked peaches, fig and a touch of smoke. It has the potential to age beautifully.