Switzerland rejects proposal to link wine imports to domestic grape purchases

The Swiss government has rejected a proposal to link wine import quotas to the purchase of domestic grapes, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from local producers. The plan, supported by several French-speaking cantons, would have allocated 80% of import quotas to companies that purchase Swiss grapes.

Instead, the Federal Council has proposed a different approach involving the uprooting of some vineyards and the sale of import quotas through auctions. The Interprofession of Vine and Wine of Valais has criticized these measures, arguing they will not effectively support Swiss producers or reduce the volume of foreign wine imports. They noted that the proposed auctioning of 170 million liters of quotas exceeds the country's current total imports of 127 million liters, rendering the measure ineffective.

This policy dispute comes amid a significant decline in wine consumption in Switzerland, which has dropped by nearly 20% over the last five years. Outgoing Economic Minister Guy Parmelin, a trained winemaker, faced backlash from the viticulture sector after the decision to abandon the domestic-linked quota system was finalized.