Research Paper on Tourism: Role of Food and Wine in Switzerland Tourism

Switzerland is considered to be an ideal tourist destination for a person who loves to travel and enjoy the finest things in life; it can be considered a perfect tourist destination. It is strategically located in Europe, it has a rich history and historical sites, the country has beautiful scenery, great infrastructure, and its people are considered to be kind and interactive. If these incentives do not offer a tourist the zeal to want to travel to this country, then food and wine tourism may make him, or her want to visit Switzerland (World Food & Wine, 2014). In the country, wine is not only considered as a way of only attracting visitors but it is considered as an art, and one of the most important pleasures that people should seek to indulge in on a daily basis.

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As a tourist, one will be offered tasting opportunities of different wines in various locations, attend events organized for the wine lovers, and visitors, walking tours and even special offers. Tourists are also provided with an opportunity to taste various cuisines that the country boasts about, prepared by the best gourmets, and sample their chocolates and cheese (World Food & Wine, 2014). Therefore, food and wine tourism play an important role in helping the country increase their tourist numbers because; they come to taste the delicacies, attend various wine events and also taste the different wines that are produced in that country.

Food Tourism

One of the most important traditional cuisines that are produced in the country and loved by the majority of people globally is chocolate. The country has a rich history of making chocolate and has been able to build a reputation abroad. Different factories in the country produce chocolate using a variety of means, and even though most of this chocolate is exported, some people want to see the process of making chocolate (Seubert & National Geographic, 2017). Swiss chocolates are described as creamy; they have a smooth taste and a beautiful appearance.

It has been stated that a tourist can explore Switzerland by simply conducting a cheese tour of the cheese producing dairy farms in the country. Every region in the country has its unique type of cheese, and this is because of the abundance of good Swiss milk, which is ideal for the production of cheese (Switzerland Tourism, 2017). The different types of cheese that are available are soft and melting Vacherin Cheese, Fondue, Appenzeller, Sbrinz, Emmentaler, which is famous for its big holes and Gruyere. A cheese lover will find the country to be an ideal place to travel simply because of the many demonstrations in the cheese dairies and the Alpine cheese cellars. The demonstrations show how different cheese are made from different herbs depending on the type of cheese that is being created, for instance, soft or hard cheese.

Other traditional dishes are in the country. These include Rosti, a dish that is mainly served at breakfast. The dish is created by the grating and frying potatoes; then the potatoes will be served with bacon that has been prepared using onion. It has been stated that this meal was created by farmers who needed a full meal before they went and conducted their farming activities. There is also Cholera, a vegetable that is mainly produced in Valais. The origin of the name of this vegetable is credited with the hardships that the Swiss who live in Valais experienced during a cholera epidemic that hit the country.

Fish dishes are quite popular in Lake Geneva, Biel and Neuchatel, and the fish that are commonly served include powan, perch, and trout. Veal is also frequently served with a cream sauce. Also, there is Cheese fondue, which comprises of melted cheese with bread cubes. To properly consume this type of food, one will pick up the bread cubes using a fork, and swivel it in the melted cheese to have the right taste.

Wine Tourism

According to wine experts at Jancis Robinson, they state that only about 2 percent of Swiss wine is exported, and therefore 98 percent of their wines are only consumed locally (Bekker, 2016). Therefore, for a wine taster, and collector to get the best wines from this country, he or she has to travel physically to Switzerland taste and purchase the wine bottles that he or she loved. Wine is considered to be a vital industry in the Lake Geneva region. The vineyards provide beautiful scenery for the tourists who may be cruising on the lake or using a train, bicycle, hiking or even a car as they are traveling towards the northern shores. According to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, the Lavaux region (which has many vineyards) and La Cote are some of the most beautiful regions in the world. In these vineyards, there are about 160 wine-grape varieties that are grown in this region (Bekker, 2016).

Wine tasting opportunities in the country are mainly divided into various categories such as Wine shows, Cantonal open-cellar weekends, Regional open-cellar weekends, and wine tasting at community cellars or individual wineries. Various wine shows and competitions are organized for the trade professionals and even casual visitors to come and taste a variety of wines that are produced in the country. The events are normally ideal for people who have some knowledge and appreciation of good wines (Cough, 2015). However, there are guided tastings and courses that are offered to amateurs so that they can learn more about wines and their pricings because most of the wines in these events are normally expensive. The popular events are Arvinis in Morges which takes place in April, and Vinea in Sierre which takes place in early September. When attending these shows, a tourist will have the opportunity to see the wines and wineries that are provided with medals and awards because of the quality of their wines.

The different cantons in the country have some of their vineyards open on specific weekends, mainly from mid-May to early June. Visitors normally buy a glass at the first vineyard, a bag for storing the glass while on tour, and then are provided with a map of all the vineyards that are open in that region. The visitors are provided with an opportunity to taste wines in all the participating cellars for free. Also, there are free shuttle buses that can be used by the visitors to travel from one vineyard to another, although it is advisable to walk around site seeing purposes (Cough, 2015). Other events attract tourists in wine tourism such as Printemps du Vin, VINEA Swiss wine fair and Marche des Cepages. Also, there are special offers such as Wine trophy, Sensorium, and Valais wine tours. During their wine tours, the tourists are normally provided with the opportunity to purchase their preferred wine bottles, therefore, being able to own rare wine that is normally not exported (Cough, 2015).

Conclusion

Food and wine tourism provide tourists with a different attraction. It can be considered to be out of the norm because most tourists travel to see wild animals and landscapes, pleasuring the eye.' However, this form of tourism satisfies the different type of body senses, the nose, and the tongue. Most of these wines and foods are mainly found in Switzerland, and therefore a foodie and wine lover has to travel to Switzerland to taste and drink these products. It has had a positive impact on the countrys tourism industry by providing the country with the dynamic form of tourism.

Reference

Bekker, H. (2016, April 13). Valais / Wallis. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from Events, http://www.lake-geneva-switzerland.com/lacote/wine-tasting-in-the-lake-geneva-region-of-switzerland/

Cough, D. (2015, February 21). Wine travel in beautiful Switzerland | experience Transat. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from Experience Transat, http://www.airtransat.com/experiencetransat/wine-tourism-travel-perfect-switzerland-2/

Seubert, S., & National Geographic (2017, February 23). Best of Switzerland: Food and drink -- national geographic. Travel. Retrieved from http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/switzerland-grand-tour/food-and-drink/

Switzerland Tourism. (2017). Typical food. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from Switzerland Tourism, http://www.myswitzerland.com/en/typical-food.html

World Food & Wine. (2014, October 2). Swiss food. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from World Food & Wine, http://world-food-and-wine.com/swiss-food