Swiss people are enthusiastic and curious when it comes to choosing high-quality Italian wine - they want to know all about it, to understand what they are drinking and if the producer can explain it in person, so much the better.
And so, given that Veneto is near, they get in their cars to visit to Verona area, above all the wineries, and buy bottles directly from them.
It is no coincidence that, according to the most recent data on the Veneto regional tourist system, Swiss visitors have increased by 0.5%, going over the 85,000 mark and climbing to fifth place in the table after Germany, Great Britain, France and Spain.
"Switzerland is a small country but it is of great interest to our producers," said Olga Bussinello, the director of the Consorzio di Tutela Wini Valpolicella (Consortium for the Protection of Valpolicella Wines).
"It is a market characterized by consumers who are used to happily spending money on a good glass of red, with the low temperatures helping to make this more appealing".
There are differences in terms of sales because, while German-speaking cantons prefer tradition channels, such as markets, shops and restaurants, direct sales account for the lion's share in the canton of Ticino.
According to a study by Wine Intelligence for the consortium, Italy is the top exporter of still wine to Switzerland, where high-range consumers make up 12% of the market and 55% drink it two-to-five times a week, spending over 25 francs a bottle.
As for the most popular varieties, above-average percentages of Merlot (74%), Pinot Nero (63%), Syrah (56%), Tempranillo (47%) and Primitivo di Manduria (45%) are consumed and there is a preference for structured red wines, but without neglecting elegance, two factors that characterise Valpolicella wines.

In collaboration with:
Consorzio per la tutela dei vini Valpolicella