Swiss winemaker blames trade for falling grape prices

Swiss winemaker Philibert Frick says grape prices have fallen by 40 percent in the past three to four years, leaving many growers under pressure. In an interview with SRF, he blamed the wine trade for favouring imported bottles.

Two out of every three bottles of wine consumed in Switzerland come from abroad. Frick said Swiss wine was not overpriced, noting that many bottles cost between CHF 8 and CHF 10. He argued that retailers could earn more from foreign wines and therefore recommend them more often.

Frick said about 40 million litres of wine are brought into Switzerland by tanker trucks each year. Under tariff quotas, the import duty is 35 centimes per litre, compared with CHF 1.05 outside the quotas. He said traders oppose stronger tariff protection for Swiss wine and criticised what he described as negative media coverage of local wine.

Swiss wine consumption rose slightly in 2025, but wine consumption is declining worldwide, Frick acknowledged. He said supply must adapt to demand, including by reducing vineyard areas, but argued that growers should not have to uproot vines so traders can continue earning high margins on cheap imports.

The government has approved additional funding for agriculture and increased support for promoting Swiss wine. Frick said those measures do not address the underlying issue: growers need fair conditions to compete in their home market.

Frick runs Domaine A Villars, a winery in Bougy-Villars in the canton of Vaud, and produces organically certified wines. He moved into winemaking at 50 after about two decades in finance. He said the work is not especially attractive financially but is personally fulfilling, and he hopes other growers will have a future in the industry.