If you find yourself in the region around Zürich on the first of May and would like to try something new, then consider visiting a local winery.  For one day, over 130 wineries in the Cantons of Aargau, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Zürich...and new this year...St. Gallen and Schwyz around the Zürich Lake, will open their doors and invite visitors to taste wines and have a walk around the winery.  Most of these wineries will offer a selection of food...usually involving a grill...to be enjoyed with a glass or two of their locally produced wine.  In some cases, local farmers will even offer a taste of some locally raised beef.  Wine visits and tastings are always free, although some of the wineries will charge a nominal fee for the food.  Tastings and visits run from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, and many of the wineries will be happy to sell their wines directly.  This increasingly popular event is a great opportunity to discover some wines which are rarely available in many wine shops.

Here are a few ideas to consider in planning your day...

1. Visit your favorite winery and fill up your private cellar.
2. Select a small wine region and walk or drive from winery to winery to learn more about the region's wines.
3. Pick a grape variety and visit several wineries in several regions to get to know the differences.
4. Combine a wine tour with a hike.  There are very nice hikes to consider around Eglisau, Hallau and Oberhallau in Canton Schaffhausen, between Stäfa and Männedorf near the lake of Zürich, and the wine region north of Frauenfeld.

You can find out more about this event and get listings of all participating wineries by visiting the official website.

You can find out more about Swiss wine and their grape varieties in the Laughing Lemon web site