VITeff Veille

Switzerland

Swiss wine production

• 15 000 hectares of which 8 031 hectares of red grape varieties and 7 122 of white grape varieties.
  
  
• Valais: 5 176 hectares (the largest wine-producing canton)
  
• Vaud: 3 856 hectares
  
• Geneva: 1 277 hectares
  
• Ticino: 1 037 hectares
  
  Grape varieties:
  
• A wide range of varieties is grown.
  
• The most frequently grown varieties are Gamaret, Merlot, Garanoir and Syrah, as well as Petite Arvine, red Humagne, Diolinoir and Cornalin (the latter are native Swiss varieties).
  
  Production:
  
• 100 099 900 litres in 2005.
  
• 52 % are red wines, i.e. about 60.7 million litres.
  
• 48 % are white wines, i.e. about 55.2 million litres.
  
  Wine exports:
  
• 2 392 705 litres in 2005.
  
• The main buyers of Swiss wines are Germany, Belgium, France, Japan and the USA.
  
  Wine imports:
  
• 180 086 521 litres in 2005.
  
• The main suppliers are Italy (44.4 million litres), France (42 million litres), Spain (28.4 million litres). France is losing some of its market share.
  
  Wine consumption:
  
• 282.8 million litres in 2004.
  
• 87.4 million litres of white wines, with consumption increasing.
  
• 195.4 million litres of red wines, with consumption decreasing. Switzerland is one of the largest per capita consumers of wine in the world.
  
  The sparkling wines market:
  
  Production of sparkling wines is concentrated in the Valais region. This sector is marginal, and only accounts for less than 1 % of total wine production. Production is stagnant, and no growth is planned.
  
  
• Imports of sparkling wines: 12 943 115 litres in 2005. Italy provides 37.4 % of imports, followed by France (36.3 %) and Spain (20.9 %). France and Italy are losing market shares in favour of Spain.
  
  
• The value of French sparkling wines is 74.6 million euros. Imports from Italy are only worth 20.2 million euros.
  
  
• Exports of sparkling wines: 46 218 litres in 2005. Most exports go to Italy (25.6 %), the United Kingdom (24.6 %) and Germany (12.2 %).
  
  Consumption of sparkling wine was 123 58500 litres 2004, and remains relatively stable. No change in this situation is expected.
  
  Sales of champagne in 2004 dropped by 6.2 % to 5 247 392 bottles.
  Champagne is drunk on special occasions, whereas other sparkling wines, particularly Italian proseccos, which increasingly replace champagne, are drunk more often. Consumption of Spanish cavas is also decreasing.
  
  Usual languages: French, German, Italian.
  
  Sources for champagne: CIVC - Information bulletin - first quarter 2005 / E Lettre Vinimarket 21/10/2005 + Economic mission to Berne February 06)