Aargau is a canton in the center of northern Switzerland, located immediately west of Zurich. Its northern border traces the Rhine river, which separates it from the southern German region of Baden; this close connection is evident in the Germanic style of many Aargau wines. To confuse matters slightly, the canton's main concentration of vineyards centers around a town named Baden at its eastern edge.
Aargau produces mostly red wines, in keeping with the trends of other cantons in the German-speaking north of Switzerland. They are produced predominantly from Pinot Noir (known here by its German name, Blauburgunder), which represents almost 85% of red vine plantings and 60% of the canton's total. The next most popular red variety is Garanoir, a crossing of Gamay and Reichensteiner, followed by the alliterative trio of Dornfelder, Dunkelfelder and Diolinoir. In 2010, about 30% of the vintage was made up of white wines, produced from 305 acres (125ha) of Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay,Sauvignon Blanc and Kerner.
The geography which characterizes Aargau is not at all dissimilar from that which prevails across the Rhine: a complex, gently swirling network of forest-capped ridges and hills dotted with towns, fields, vineyards and the occasional limestone quarry. The forms here are ultimately dictated by the many rivers and streams twisting and turning their way between the low hills en route to the Rhine, via the Aare and Limmat rivers – which give their names to Aargau and neighboring Limmatal. These rivers are of vital importance to the Swiss economy as they generate energy at several hydro-electric power plants and three of Switzerland's five nuclear power stations.
Aargau's climate is continental in type, with relatively warm, dry summers and cool winters. It has average rainfall for a Swiss canton and is one of the lowest-lying, being located quite some distance from the Alps.
