Swiss Grapes, Cheese, and Government

When we first arrived in Switzerland it was astounding to see all of the grape vineyards that line the mountains. Saying that juices and wines are an integral part of Swiss culture would be an understatement. Dominique introduced us to his vineyard and we put ourselves to work picking fresh grapes. I had supposed that the art of producing juices and wines was a passion for them, but I was still amazed as Dominique shared his knowledge about the grape vines – when to prune, when to pick, when to prepare them against the onset of winter. He also talked about the process of making juice and of making wine. The Swiss love their wine, and it shows in the fact that only about five percent of Swiss wine is exported.

Dominique also talked about raclette and the work involved in making the fine tasting cheese. The name “raclette” actually comes from the French verb racler which means “to scrape.” The cheese is made in wheels. In preparation for eating, a wheel is cut in half, then a warmer is used to melt the flat side of the half-wheel and the melted layer is scraped off onto a plate. In general, Swiss cheese is also a significant part of the culture. It is a common menu item at every meal, whether to eaten plain, or placed or melted with something.

Dominique also presented for a few minutes on the Swiss government, which has some similarities to the U.S. government system. The legislative wing or parliament is bicameral, being made up of the Council of States and the National Council. The executive wing is called the Federal Council and is made up of seven ministers, of whom one serves as the president. There is of course a judicial wing which is titled the Federal Court. Considering the Swiss system from my perspective as a traveler, it was interesting to notice how orderly everything seemed. The country is very clean, the drivers were very courteous and did not drive fast, and the trains were always right on time. The Swiss are very orderly and, in general, seemed to be strong law-abiding citizens. One last notable feature about the country is that it is the home of three languages. The west side is French speaking, the south side Italian, and the east side speaks Swiss-German. Most people in the Italian area were bi-lingual, speaking both French and Italian, but the French and German speaking regions were not as linguistically accommodating to their neighbors.