⚡ BREAKING NEWS ⚡
🏆 NEW RECORD: 3.5 TREBERWURST! 🏆
Jonas & Silvio have made history! With an astonishing 3.5 Treberwurst, they now hold the new, undisputed record at the Kümin Treberwurst dinner!
"I only ate from the small plates."
— Silvio
Jonas & Silvio have made history! With an astonishing 3.5 Treberwurst, they now hold the new, undisputed record at the Kümin Treberwurst dinner!
"I only ate from the small plates."
— Silvio
Dinner at the Kümins
Tradition, wine & indulgence in the wine cellar at Freienbach on Lake Zurich
The Treberwurst is a truly unique Swiss sausage specialty with roots in the Lake Biel region (Canton of Bern). Its name comes from Treber (also called Trester) — the leftover pulp from pressed wine grapes. Yes, it's a sausage steamed over boozy grape waste. Only in Switzerland.
Back in the 1950s, winemakers around Lake Biel started cooking their pork sausages in the rising alcohol vapors produced while distilling Marc (grape pomace brandy). What began as a simple winemaker's lunch turned into a beloved tradition for visitors in the early 1980s — and has been drawing crowds from all over Switzerland every winter since.
Treberwurst is essentially a raw Saucisson-style sausage (similar to Vaudois Saucisson, but finer and leaner) that gets cooked in the steam of fermenting grape remnants. The sausage itself contains no alcohol — it just picks up its distinctive aroma from the vapors. Think of it as a booze sauna for sausages.
In autumn, the grapes are pressed. The pomace (skins, seeds, stems) ferments for about 3 months.
The fermented pomace is distilled in a copper still — producing Marc, a clear grape pomace brandy at ~40% ABV.
The raw sausages are placed over the steaming hot pomace in the still and gently cooked for about 50–60 minutes at ~78°C.
The finished sausage is sliced thick, doused with hot Marc, and flambéed at the table — intensifying the spicy, smoky wine aroma. Because why not set your food on fire?
Although Treberwurst originally hails from Lake Biel, the Kümin Brothers Winery in Freienbach on Lake Zurich has adopted this tradition with spectacular success. Every year in January, the Kümin wine cellar transforms into a cozy, rustic feast hall.
Long wooden tables and benches fill the production rooms. The atmosphere is cheerfully rustic — think Swiss wine cellar meets village feast. On the menu: Treberwürste straight from the still, accompanied by Papet vaudois (a hearty potato-leek gratin from the Vaud tradition) and plenty of house wine.
If you're not a fan of boozy flavors, you might want to stick to the sides — the Treberwurst smells and tastes distinctly of brandy steam! You've been warned.
Marc (also known as Tresterbrand in German) is a brandy distilled from fermented grape pomace — similar to Italian grappa. After pressing the grapes, the solid residue (skins, seeds, pulp) is left behind. This gets fermented and then distilled.
The result is a clear spirit at about ~40% ABV, with a fruity aroma of grapes and yeast. In Swiss German dialect, it's also called «Träsch» or «Drusen». For example: the Leutschner Marc by the Kümin Brothers — carefully distilled, aged in oak barrels, 42% ABV, about CHF 41 for 75cl.
Gebrüder Kümin Weinbau und Weinhandel AG in Freienbach on Lake Zurich is a family-run business steeped in tradition, operated since 1902 across now four generations.
Heinrich Kümin-Wunderli produces wine for the first time from the Leutschen vineyard in Wilen (Freienbach).
Heinrich opens a wine shop in Freienbach.
Son Ernst Kümin takes over the business.
Construction of a new cellar and house at the current location (Oechsli 1).
Acquisition of a 1.8 ha vineyard plot in Buchberg (SH) for Pinot Noir.
Brothers Ernst and Stefan Kümin join the business.
~2 ha of vines on St. Johann hill in Altendorf (SZ) — a historic site documented since the 14th century.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines in the mild climate of Quinten (SG).
Stefan Kümin junior joins. Since 2008, he runs the company as managing director.
Launch of a new wine line that immediately wins wide acclaim.
Wine line featuring fungus-resistant grape varieties like «Vitis Robusta» Solaris.
Today the Kümin family cultivates ~10 hectares of vineyards across various sites around Lake Zurich, with 20 employees. The most important site is Leutschen in Freienbach — a sun-drenched molasse sandstone ridge of 5.3 ha with numerous grape varieties.
The Kümin winery portfolio — from crisp whites to fine brandies.
Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Räuschling, Federweisser, Riesling-Sylvaner, Rosé — fresh and fruity, typical of the region
Easy-drinking table wine from the right shore of Lake Zurich
Freisamer, Pinot Gris, Solaris, Sauvignon Blanc, Räuschling — full-bodied, regionally characteristic
From Wangen SZ, aged in barrique barrels
From Altendorf SZ, stainless steel tank fermentation
Fruit-forward, from Quinten on Lake Walen
Crisp Zurich classic from Feldbach
Bold barrique cuvée of Pinot Noir & Cabernet Soyhières — dark berries, spice, oak
Full-bodied Pinot Noir from late-harvested grapes, AOC Schwyz
Fruity, unsulfured Pinot Noir from Altendorf & Wangen
Cuvée, 12 months in barrique, near-Mediterranean microclimate of Lake Walen
Pure Pinot aged in barrique barrels
Affordable, easy-drinking, from Lake Zurich
Oak-aged, from Feldbach near Rapperswil
Sparkling wines from Lake Zurich grapes — perfect as an aperitif
Noble sweet wine, vintage 2017, 37.5cl
Grape pomace brandy from estate-grown grapes, Leutschen vineyard. Carefully distilled, oak barrel aged. 42% ABV.
Premium cherry brandy from Höfner cherries off the Etzel mountain. Delicate almond and fruit notes. 42% ABV.
🛒 All wines in the Kümin Online Shop or at the winery's wine bar.
A trip to the Treberwurst feast in Freienbach offers not just a hearty culinary experience, but also a peek into the family-run Kümin wine business — from the vineyards on Lake Zurich, through the cellars and distillery, to a cozy toast with wine and Marc.
Reservation recommended: Online tickets here · Tel. 055 417 40 20 · kuemin-weine.ch
WARNING: Excessive Treberwurst consumption may cause the following side effects:
If you experience these symptoms: Carry on. There is no cure. Only more sausage.