If one were to look at a map from Europe and judge which countries perhaps grow much less wine then they might given different circumstances, Switzerland would be your top choice.

Given it's positioning alongside France, especially considering that much of the western half of the country speaks French, you would think that there would be an incredible bond between the two countries when it comes to wine. In fact the western half of Switzerland does produce most of the country's wine, but they run into two significant problems.

The most glaring issue is the high altitude of most of the country. Has anyone whom has ever hiked or climbed a mountain not noticed the temperature? Yes, high altitudes mean cooler temperatures and grape vines do not grow well at freezing temperatures.

The second significant problem that winemakers face is incredibly steep vineyards. Perhaps the steepest in world outside of Germany this creates significant problems with the delivery of water as well as the ability to harvest and collect the grapes at a moments notice during harvest.

Given the cooler temperatures, as you'd expect the best wine being produced and most of the wine for that matter is white wine. There is some Pinot Noir being produced, although the quality is improving the wine lacks a large amount of depth and nuisance that makes Pinot Noir famous in other regions. If you're interested in Swiss wine, definitely stick to the white wines.

The most well known and appreciated white wine currently produced in Switzerland is named Chasselas. A grape that when grown well producing a light white wine with fruit flavors and balanced acidity this wine is never aged in oak barrels because the oak will always overpower the flavors of the wine.

Are Swiss wines commercially available in the United States? Currently some are, but most of the good wine is consumed locally. The Swiss have a clear advantage in their wine choices because they share a border and language with not only Germany, but also France and Italy. It is an embarrassment of riches for any one country and the love of good wine will only continue to encourage their domestic wineries to both increase production but to increase quality as well. For any wine drinker this is an exciting proposition because we all love better and more varied choices and the quality of white wines simply has not kepy pace with the improvements in red wines happening in the new world.