Canton with the capital of the same name in the north-east of Switzerland on the border with Germany. The vineyards cover around 470 hectares of vines and belong to the wine region of German-speaking Switzerland. They are mainly located in the Rhine Valley between the Bündner Herrschaft in the canton of Graubünden and Lake Constance. Well-known wine-growing communities include Altstätten, Bad Ragaz, Balgach, Berneck, Freienbach, Mels, Monstein, Rheineck, Oberriet, Pfäfers, Rapperswil-Jona (part of the Lake Zurich AOC region), Sargans, Thal, Walenstadt and Wartau. The majority of red wines are produced from the Pinot Noir variety, which is favoured by the sugar-forming "grape cooker" foehn wind. Well-known producers include Bärtsch, members of the Berneck winegrowers' cooperative, Geiger, Höcklistein, Lutz, Ochsentorkel, Schwitter, Tobler, Walser, Wartau Reto Schwarz, Weber-Stieger and Wildhaber.
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The glossary is a monumental achievement and one of the most important contributions to wine knowledge. Of all the encyclopaedias I use on the subject of wine, it is by far the most important. That was the case ten years ago and it hasn't changed since.
Andreas Essl
Autor, Modena