The grape harvest in Switzerland doesn’t sound like much until you see a terraced vineyard overlooking Lake Geneva at eight o’clock in the morning, with thirty people picking grapes by hand because no machine can reach that spot. Switzerland has vineyards listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, specifically in Lavaux, in the canton of Vaud, which produce wines that hardly ever leave the country because production is so small and local demand so high that there is almost nothing left to export.
The harvest usually begins in late August in Valais and continues throughout September and into mid-October, depending on the canton and the grape variety. Vaud, Valais, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Ticino have a genuine wine-growing tradition, and the grape harvest is not just an agricultural activity but a social event featuring festivals, open-door wine cellars and, in some places, the chance to take part as a grape-picker for a day. It’s the sort of thing you won’t find in any guidebook for newcomers, but once you discover it, it stays with you.
For Spaniards in Switzerland, this discovery comes as a double surprise: firstly, that Switzerland produces wine on a serious scale; and secondly, that this wine is, in many cases, very good but virtually impossible to buy outside the country. If someone brings you a bottle of Chasselas from Lavaux or Amigne from Valais as a gift, keep it safe. You won’t find it abroad.