Flatulence
 

Yes, I said flatulence. I was talking to a friend today and she was telling me that with the altitude and the amount of cheese you eat in Switzerland, you need to be sure to drink the wine and not alot of water or you will be in agony. Any comments?

I would think you'd get very dehydrated.

I for one have never been in "agony" due to flatulence. The people around me, now that's a different story... :)

Guy18, Ha!

Did the friend explain the science of drinking the wine and not the water to prevent flatulence?

I think your friend was either pulling your leg, or she gets a kickback from purveyors of Swiss wines.

Not that there's anything wrong with drinking lots of Swiss wine. . . but the water is OK too.

Guy18
you are too funny....

and I think that just stinks....

Wine cuts cheese - really.

is it Friday already..?

Has anyone ever had a Swiss wine?

I hope Budman reads this before his upcoming trip!

Well, just dont get trapped on the plane with this problem!! Your fellow passengers will be in agony!!!!

:)

Bird, when I was on my hiking trip in Switzerland in 2004 we did a hike through a vineyard and stopped in for a wine tasting. Usually at a wine tasting they pour tiny bits of wine into your glass and provide a spittoon. However at this tasting they were giving us full glasses and no spittoon, so after my 8th glass, it all tasted like water to me anyway. :-!

We were told that Swiss wine is never exported, so you'll have to go there to taste Swiss wine. But hey, I'll take any excuse to go to Switzerland. :-)

What about the beer? :-) ((b))

Talk about a lot of hot air!

OK, I answered Bird's question, now I'll address the OP. I highly recommend the wine and cheese in Switzerland, but it is imperative that you drink a lot of water, especially at high altitudes. I cannot think of any place in the world where drinking too much water is bad for you.

There is one great thing about flatulence in Switzerland--you can always blame it on the cows!! 3:-o

So true, P. M., and if you're in Appenzell, no one will notice how much flatulence you have.

Generally speaking, most folks, when traveling, anywhere, experience "changes". Typically flatulence and/or constipation, or worse... All due to time differences, consuming new foods and beverages (often in exceptionally new quantities) (like that new coffee addict), even the change in the water, no matter how safe to drink - it's just different and affects your "system".

We in the medical profession consider mild to moderate flatulence a sign of a healthy gastrointestinal system.

You should all count your blessings.

Thanks,platzman. I'm going to show this to my wife. :-) ((b))

platzman...I'm no doctor but agree with you...after all we're human & flatulence comes naturally..

Changing pressure can indeed affect gastrointestinal throughput - ask people who fly for a living in pressurized cabins. a risk in air transport of post op patients is wound dehiscence.
platzman - reminds me of the old joke that when the idea of flatulence as an indicator of health was told to one woman she said "my husband will live forever" ;-)

I'm having a gas reading this thread.

If you are hiking it seems like the flatulence would propel you up the hills, it's a good thing!

Let's halt the gas discussion and get back to wine and cheese.

To be serious for a minute, if you are having a traditional cheese fondu, you MUST drink wine with it.
If you don't, you will have an uncomfortable night.

By all means drink water at other times.

Why, Josser? I don't drink at all so what happens if you don't have wine?

>>>>
Has anyone ever had a Swiss wine?
>>>>

the swiss make some great wines. they only export a small amount so for the most part, you need to go to switzerland to drink it.

How DO you make a Swiss Wine????

Take away his cheese.....

(sorry, couldn't resist)

You'll probably have horrible indigestion and may also be bunged up.

Remember Saint Paul
"Take a little wine for your stomach's sake"

Either that or avoid the fondu.

Does the wine act as a substitute for Milk of Magnesia when eating fondu? ((b))

I suspect this is a thinly disguised promotion for <i>Swiss Air</i>...

You can always rely on Fodor's to get to the bottom of things.

Josser, You seem to have taken this more seriously than others. Please explain to me what the problem is so that I can avoid it. Is is truly resolved through wine consuption.

If you think seriously for a moment - cheese is usually pared with wine. Is there a reason for that?

I know for sure why fondue required wine - if you drop hot cheese on the table, you have to buy a round of drinks for everybody :)

And yes, there IS swiss wine, I remember a great Zin at dinner... the waitress said it's local wine

By the way, I lived on cheese and ice-cream, and only twice had wine - no problem, even though I do have some stomach chronic problems

And now I know why the baby cows run around with their tails up - milk becomes cheese inside their tommies and causes flatulence

No wonder people always want me at the back when I'm hiking in the mountains!

I always wondered what transatlantic flights would be like if airlines did not distribute blankets...

(this is thread is LOL)

P_M... the reason Swiss wine is not exported is simply because the Swiss want it all to themselves. They drink up every last drop. Seriously, that's what my local friends told me.

Actually I have on one occasion seen something Swiss in my local wine shop but it was not very good, that's probably why they allowed it to slip thru.

That's a bummer.

This posting reminds me of a fact. Adolf Hitler suffered from severe flatulence. He was constantly letting out gas wherever he was. An American writer claimed to feel sorry for Martin Borman, because his main duty was to stand at the side of Hitler, wherever he was. You can imagine the stress on poor Martin.

I suspect that the reasons that the Swiss do not export their wines is that they are overpriced and couldn't sell it in any neighboring countries. Import of more than a bottle or so is not allowed, though I smuggled in a few bottles of French reds every week when I lived in Geneva.

Hopscotch- Are you saying you think Swiss whites are overpriced when you buy them in Switzerland? Interesting.

I buy whites at the PicNPac in Montreux that are made nearby in the 7-15CHF range and they are excellent imho.