Theme travel around Switzerland. Wine and Cuisine. Part 3

Liechtenstein. The land of the princely wine cellars.

Whatever one might think, when we speak about winemaking in this or that country, we shouldn’t be stopped by the state borders. For instance, the German-speaking part of Switzerland is famous for its wine which in past was produced specially for the royalties, particularly the prince of Liechtenstein. One could say that his principality is the continuation of Bündner Herrschaft, located in the far east of Switzerland.

Roman commander Drusus and Tiberius planted the first vineyard on the right bridge of Rhine in the 15th century BC. These abundant slopes are perfect for such grape varieties as Blauburgunder, Muller-Thurgaua and some others. Liechtenstein offers simple table wines as well as first-rate ones, worthy of international acknowledgement. And if you go up the mountains, you will enjoy magnificent views over the Rhine valley, the Liechtenstein Alps and the eastern Switzerland. Various Liechtenstein cheese varieties and Malbuner smoked ham are produced in the mountains.

Liechtenstein has no its own particular cuisine – still, it is rather often that local restaurants get Michelin stars. The country’s situation between Austria and Switzerland has played a principal role in the development of its gastronomy which mixes rural German and magnificent Austrian dishes. They also cook dishes of the eastern Switzerland. Salted boiled fillet with horseradish sauce, boiled meat with cream gravy… Local delicacy is Kasknopfle (a sort of cheese mini-dumplings) with smashed apples – rather a simple, but still delicious dish.

“Hofkellerei”, the winery of the Princely Court, are excellent for wine-tasting. Located 10 minutes walk from Vaduz.

Schaffhausen. Blauburgunder country on Rhine.

Schaffhausen mostly borders with Germany. Still, it’s the “most northern” canton, filled with Swiss spirit. The most interesting travel objects are the Rhine Waterfall, which used to be the natural border and is now visited by millions of tourists every year, and the Old Town.

The gentle slopes of Klettgau are mostly used for grape and grain planting. Winemakers of Schaffhausen plant more than 30 varieties of vine, but the most important are Thurgau and Blauburgunder (Pinot Noir) which make the 75 % of all the vineyards. That is why this region is also often called the land of Blauburgunder. Most of local wines are light ones.

Of course, local menu is greatly influenced by an abundance of fish. Rheinasche fish is the local delicacy, which is baked in an oven and sprinkled with butter. Bolletunne is a delicious onion pie and Schublinge are baked sausages. And, of course, one of the places worth visiting here is the Schaffhausen farm market (at Kirchhofplatz) located next to the church. The market works on Fridays and Saturdays and offers fresh products produced at local farms.

That is all we can tell you about Swiss wine regions. The next step is to check it all by yourself!

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