Switzerland is a (relatively unknown) country of viticulture. The canton of Valais and the cantons around the lakes of western Switzerland are the most important wine-growing areas.
Grape varieties are catalogued and inventoried worldwide. The most extensive catalogue is the VIVC Vitis International Variety Catalogue. In Switzerland. The University of Lausanne publishes the Swiss Vitis Microsatellite Database. Another Swiss database is the Nationale Genbank PGREL (National Genes Bank PGREL).
The latter includes vine varieties that originated or were bred in Switzerland or have national, regional or local importance.
At least 252 grapes are cultivated in Switzerland. There are up to 10,000 grape varieties worldwide, some estimates as high as 20,000, including about 5,000 hybrids.
The region around Lake Biel is known for cultivating Gutedel/Chasselas and Pinot noir. Today, the catalogue of varieties of the Rebgesellschaft Bielersee includes more than 70 white and red grape varieties.
The description of the vine determines Grapes. This science is called ampelography (from Greek ámpelos = vine and gráphein = to write). Vines are compared, and the shape and colour of leaves and grapes are described.
Nowadays, each grape variety has a unique genetic DNA profile. Grapes can be identified with 100% security.
The exhibition Vielfalt der Rebsorten (Vine Quality) in the Museum of Winegrowing in Ligerz (canton of Bern) shows old and new, known and unknown grape varieties. It shows the world of ampelography and the new world of modern grape cultivation.