German Switzerland - Geography

Given the climatic conditions of German Switzerland, that are rather northern ones, the number of grape varieties reaching maturity is quite limited. Fortunately, there are other factors creating microclimates, which are favourable to the vines, such as the lakes, the rivers, the föhn (a warm wind) or the advantageous exposition of the vineyards. Rainfall varies considerably from one zone to the other, and the risks of frost in spring and in autumn are quite important. The composition of soils is extremely diverse in this region, which spread from the Jura to the Alps and which includes important basins created by water flows.

Average annual temperature: 9°C / 48°F
January: 0°C / 32°F
July: 17.5-18.5°C / 63.5-65.3°F

Rainfall varies greatly
Hallau (Schaffhausen): 830 mm./yr. (32 in.)
Wädenswil (Zurich): 1300 mm./yr. (51 in.)

The annual hours of sun exposure:
Hallau (Schaffhausen): 1578 hrs.
Stäfa (Zurich): 1693 hrs.
Relatively low for Switzerland.

Altitude:
Basel: 320 m.(1050 ft.)
Bünder Herrschaft area (Graubünden): 600 m.(1968 ft.)