With a wine history dating back to Roman times, the canton of Thurgau today boasts two-hundred-and-fifty hectares of vine and almost the same number of producers, ranging from independent grape growers to larger commercially-focused cooperatives. The variety of grapes grown here has increased significantly in the last decade with Thurgau’s producers, like most in Switzerland, experimenting with everything from old, indigenous varieties to newly developed hybrids, many of which have found their perfect terroir around the shores of Lake Constance or strewn in small parcels across the canton’s gentle hills.
Much of Thurgau’s wine is produced from the vineyards in its north-eastern regions, where the vines enjoy a sunny, south-facing aspect and the temperature moderating benefits of nearby Lake Constance. The crystal clear waters of the lake also allows for a large amount of sunlight to be reflected from its surface, thus providing additional heat to the vines.
In all, there are six sub-zones - Lauchetal, Oberes Thurtal, Rheingebiet, Seebachtal, Unteres Thurtal and Untersee. The Oberes Thurtal - encompassing the municipalities of Ottoberg and Weinfelden, is particularly well regarded with a number of its producers listed among the most recent Gault & Millau ‘Best Winemakers in Switzerland’.
