Maria Bühler Weinhandlung

FH Weinbau

Wine wine trade in Zurich

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Welcome

Wine merchant with an eventful past

Maria Bühler sells wine in District 5. She owes her decision to take the plunge into self-employment to former city councilor Monika Stocker.

There are some surprising discoveries to be made at Maria Bühler's wine shop on Ackerstrasse in District 5: she specializes in wines from small estates in little-known regions. When Maria Bühler opened her shop 15 years ago, her range was still unusual. Today, regional wines from small winemakers are all the rage: even the big distributors are playing this card. It's getting harder and harder for us small players to find niches because there are practically none left, says the wine merchant. The good contacts she has made on her wine trips help her. And her personality: Maria Bühler is warm and open, and buying wine usually leads to a long conversation. Many of her customers are regulars, friends, or colleagues. But newcomers are also welcome. Bühler asks about preferences, tries to find out which varieties the customer likes, and is happy to advise on wine choices to accompany the evening's menu. And you can rely on her tips—the writer speaks from experience.

She also supplies the Helsinki

Together with her employee Marianne Egli, Maria Bühler mainly sells bottles between 10 and 20 Swiss francs, simple wines of good quality. But there are also more expensive wines on the shelves. Bühler generates a third of her sales in the shop and the rest from deliveries to private individuals and restaurants. These include trendy venues such as Helsinki near Hardbrücke and Bar 63 on Rolandstrasse in District 4. This suits Bühler: she used to have her own show on Radio Lora, was active in the women's movement for a long time and was often out and about. Today, she puts her energy into her own business.

The 54-year-old grew up in a farming family in Herrliberg. Her grandmother instilled in her granddaughter a passion for the vines that grew on the slopes of the Pfannenstiel. Nevertheless, Maria Bühler completed an apprenticeship as a chemical laboratory assistant. But already in her second year of training, she heard an inner voice: "Gang i d Räbe!" First she completed her apprenticeship, then she attended the Wädenswil Technical College and became a viticultural engineer.

As a woman, she was an exotic creature

In the large wine shops where she worked afterwards, she realized that she had little chance of advancement. It was a time when women were still rare in the wine trade, Bühler recalls. She handed in her notice and fulfilled a long-cherished dream: in 1992, she spent six months traveling through the wine-growing regions of Europe, visiting winegrowers and making contacts. When she returned home, the recession was stronger than ever and the unemployment rate in Switzerland was higher than it had been since the war. Bühler dreamed of starting her own business, but how could she achieve this? She had almost no money left after her trip, and the banks were very reluctant to grant loans. Then, by chance, she saw Monika Stocker, who was a city councilor at the time, at an art exhibition in Frankfurt and approached her. Just because I find her an interesting woman. The two women got talking, and Stocker enthusiastically told Bühler about a project that had just been presented to her in Frankfurt: a commercial building for unemployed women who, with government assistance, could take the leap into self-employment there. When Stocker launched a similar project in Zurich shortly afterwards, Bühler was part of the team, in a building in Enge full of women setting up their own businesses.

Offers:

Monthly tastings

Themed tastings once a month.

Tastings on request

I organize guided tastings for you, your friends, your employees, club or association members: in small groups (6-20 people), according to your interests and wishes, at a cost-covering price.

Wine of the week

Feel free to drop by during opening hours. The wine of the week is chilled and ready for you to sample.

Banquet and party service

If you suddenly realize, "Oh! The wine! I completely forgot about that," give me a call (044 272 38 30) – I have the perfect solution for you!

Glass rental

The official "Le Verre" tasting glass can be rented from me.

Per glass: CHF 0.85 (including washing up) Broken glass: CHF 4.50

Shipping of customer gifts

I would be happy to advise you on your gift selection. Gifts are shipped by mail in PTT-approved packages. The following quantities are available: 12, 6, 3, 2, and 1.

Consultation