Jean-René Germanier is a well-respected producer in Switzerland and turns out one of the few labels that is available in Canada. His Dôle showcases compelling light notes and a fruity nose while his Fendant will be vaguely recognizable to anyone who remembers drinking Okanagan chasselas back in the day.

THE HABIT-FORMING ASPECT of wine has always been the sense of discovery, uncovering gems to share with your friends. But with today’s information glut, it’s easier to track down the Ark of the Covenant than to find an undiscovered bottle from Napa or the Okanagan. Yet there is a place, with arguably the planet’s most gorgeous vineyards, that produces exquisite wines almost unknown in North America: Switzerland.

Is there anything the Swiss aren’t proficient at? In fact Switzerland, which would fit into Wood Buffalo National Park, makes about 25 percent more wine each year than is produced in all of Canada. So why don’t we see more of it in North America? "Because we drink it all ourselves," is the phrase you’ll hear in French, German and English at every winery you consult. The average Swiss puts away about 43 litres of wine a year-almost four times what the average Canadian does-so the chances of seeing many of these vintages on our shores seem slim. But they’re worth seeking out at specialty wine shops (or on your next European vacation).

Where to Go
The country has vineyards in all corners and generally they take on the characteristics of the country they border. The Ticino region in the south produces sublime merlots in the Northern Italian style, offering the irresistible coupling of Italian sexiness with Swiss efficiency. The best of the wines are like baby brothers to famed "Super-Tuscans" such as Masseto and Ornellaia.

The Valais is Switzerland’s own Rhone Valley (the river flows through here), growing pinot noir and chasselas on steeply terraced mountain vineyards. The Vaud, overlooking Lake Geneva, is on the shortlist for title of the world’s most picturesque wine region, and, like the Valais, specializes in pinot noir, chasselas and gamay.

What to Drink
Early acolytes of Okanagan wine will remember chasselas well, as this white varietal was widely planted in the early days of the West’s wine industry. (Quails’ Gate and St. Hubertus still use the varietal with success.) The classic chasselas (they call it fendant in the Valais) has a fruity, mineral taste, like a chenin blanc crossed with a sauvignon blanc. It’s ideal to drink with raclette and fondue-which, in Switzerland, means it goes with everything. Try Grognuz Chasselas or Germanier Fendant.

Traditional wisdom is that you never blend pinot noir with other grapes, lest you disturb its delicate sensibilities, but the Swiss are surrounded by the grape (it’s the most planted varietal in the country) so they experiment. The result is dôle, which is a mixture of pinot and its lighter cousin gamay (used for Beaujolais) and is the closest thing the Swiss have to a signature red wine. The blend works well, as the gamay is happy to fill in gaps of an imperfect pinot with its fruity nose, so the wine has an evenness that approximates good Burgundy. (The depth, however, is a different matter.) Try Germanier Dôle.

What to Do
As great as sampling Swiss wines is at a restaurant, nothing beats tramping though the picture perfect vineyards, meeting vintners who are still excited when anyone drops by their facilities, and then retiring to five-star accommodations in sophisticated lakefront villages. In the Vaud, try Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace (17-19 Place du Port, [41] 21-613-3333, brp.ch), one of those continental gems that makes you think how unfortunate it is that you weren’t born a count. In Ticino you can choose either Locarno or Lugano-how’s that for a Sophie’s choice of exotic lakefront resorts? (George Clooney’s pad at Lake Como is just a hop, skip and jump away, too.) Lugano’s Elvezia al Lago (Sentiero di Gandria, Castagnola, [41] 91-971-4451, elvezialago.ch) is reached only by boat or foot and will have you wishing you starred in Ocean’s Eleven, too.

For more information consult myswitzerland.com.