Skip cheese and sip wine in Switzerland

Beyond chocolates and cheese, there's another Swiss gem to discover — vineyards that have been passed down through the generations

- Pallavi Pasricha

Think of wine while in Europe, and France, Spain and Italy spring to mind. Switzerland is better known for its cheese and chocolates. The Alpine slopes, however, are dotted with terraced vineyards in six main wine-growing regions. Some of these are family-owned and go back centuries, but the country has chosen to keep its exceptional wines at home, exporting only one per cent of the produce. A vineyard tour is a great way to discover this near-unknown wine haven.

The tiny, quaint village of Praz, nestled between the gleaming Lake Murten and the hilly slopes of Mont Vully in western Switzerland is home to just 400 residents and six winemakers. The region grows about 45 grape varieties with Pinot noir and Sauvignon blanc being the most popular ones.

It's a sunny day, perfect for grape harvesting. The rows of fruit-laden vines seem unending, the lake glistens ahead and the village homes look like tiny dots against this gorgeous backdrop. In a lush vineyard in the estate of Cave Guillod SA, its owner Cédric Guillod hands me a yellow box and a pair of long nose scissors. "The secret of why my grandfather lived to be 100 years is because he drank a glass of wine every day," Guillod says smilingly. His family has been growing grapes and producing wines here for four generations, since 1931.