Switzerland's Culinary Foundry

With a stunning rooftop terrace offering breathtaking views of the lake, an impressive wine list and an elegant, minimalist interior, the Izumi has everything for the international jet set.

Chardonnay accounts for 31% of all grapes in Champagne and it grows particularly well on its chalky terroir. It is championed for elegant, fragrant wines bursting with floral, citrus and tasty mineral notes.

There is no better guide for gourmets in southern Switzerland than Dany Stauffacher. We had the pleasure of accompanying the founder and CEO of the Sapori Ticino culinary festival on an enjoyable tour of his home region and not only pass on his enthusiasm for the restaurants presented here, but also a message that was very important to him: ‘When I’m asked for restaurant tips, I always have the same problem: I’m spoilt for choice. There’s so much on offer now in Ticino that for every restaurant I recommend, I have to leave out dozens of others that are just as deserving.’

A journey of discovery through the world of Genevan wines is worth your while, as both the selection of grape varieties and the vintages pressed from these are wide-ranging and unrivalled. Within Switzerland, only the region of Valais has a line-up of grape varieties that is similar in size.

At first glance, you could mistake one for a tomato, as they are of a similar size and round in shape. They are also bright orange to red in colouring and bear green stripes.

Marco Campanella combines cucumber with passion fruit and in doing so makes the best ravioli in Switzerland. A profile of a culinary artist whose forthright and curious nature is reflected in every one of his dishes.

Genevan wines are produced in a wine-growing area measuring more than 1,400 hectares, with only two other Swiss cantons having larger wine-growing areas. The West-Swiss vintages are always considered to be a hot tip outside of their home region. With a large range of grape varieties and a great deal of innovative spirit, Genevan wine growers know how to set themselves apart from their competition, as Peter Keller writes.