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(www.restaurantduchasseur.ch) is only a of you, you can test your blind tasting skills three-minute walk away. in Lausanne for the price of CHF15. The At Les Frères Dubois (www.lfd.ch) in Concours Jean-Louis tasting challenge Cully, call in for a tasting of new releases, was created in 1941 and blind tests five Vaud: plan a wine or of older wines going back as far as different Swiss appellations of Chasselas. 1971. Taste the magic of aged Chasselas If you guess all five appellations correctly, first-hand. Domaine Louis Bovard you will take home a diploma that shows (www.domainebovard.com) is an iconic off your tasting skills. tour to remember estate also based in Cully that is run by After all that wine tasting, you’re Louis himself, known by many as ‘The probably feeling peckish. Perhaps a bit of It can be hard to track down many of Lake Geneva Region’s most Pope of Lavaux’. In addition to tasting cheese might help to refresh the palate? some of his delicious wines, you can visit Switzerland makes many exceptional exciting wines – unless you’re there. What better incentive could an experimental vineyard in Rivaz that is cheeses, and while Gruyère might be the Lavaux Express planted with 19 different Chasselas most famous, L’Etivaz is arguably better, there be to visit to one of Switzerland’s most breathtaking areas? clones. Learn about their characteristics if less known. Similar to Gruyère but and their potential in the future of creamier and less sharp, it is produced ne of Switzerland’s most of choice is the native Chasselas, there the region’s best artisanal cheese to Switzerland’s vineyards. the way Gruyère used to be 100 years beautiful regions, with its are 54 other varieties to explore too. accompany the tasting. A region steeped in quiet beauty, the ago – with summer cow’s milk heated in tapestries of vineyards, lakes Here is a small selection of some of the Also in La Côte is Château Rochefort semi-mountainous southeastern area of traditional copper cauldrons over a and mountains, Vaud is also region’s best producers – all waiting for (www.chateau-rochefort.ch), one of the Chablais offers further vinous experiences wood-burning fire. It was created in the O the country’s second-largest wine you to call by… city of Lausanne’s five historic wineries. The off the beaten path. Cave Alain Emery 1930s by a group of Gruyère producers producer and its fourth-largest canton. In La Côte, Domaine Henri Cruchon charming host, Michel Gfeller, conducts in Aigle (www.cave-emery.ch) has won who felt that the regulations were not As a result, it offers tourists a plethora of (www.henricruchon.com) in Morges is a tastings of wines from all five properties Swiss wine tourism awards and offers a respecting the quality of their cheese. activities – wine-related and beyond. must-visit. Catherine Cruchon makes and can even fire up the fondue pot or number of memorable itineraries, from They began making their own cheese, some of the most terroir-driven, mineral create more sophisticated fare for special ‘winemaker for a day’ to ‘L’Ap[air]o’ naming it after their alpine village. The Wineries to visit wines in the region. Make sure to try their events. There are also quaint rooms (pronounced as in the French, apéro), in production zone is notably smaller than There are many exceptional wines single-vineyard, biodynamically farmed where you can stay, and the wonderful which participants are transported by that of Gruyère. produced in Vaud, and though its grape Chasselas. The family also serves some of Restaurant du Chasseur Up on the Diablerets glacier helicopter to the Diablerets glacier at At the Maison de L’Etivaz (www. 3,000m for a James Bond-like tasting of etivaz-aop.ch), you can learn all about its four of their wines. history and production through Walkers take in the demonstrations and tastings. You can stunning views of Lake Hit the trail then visit its ageing cellar where 20,000 Geneva over the Lavaux Beyond the winery tours in Vaud, one can rounds gently mature for at least 135 vineyard terraces take in the beauty of the vineyards in days at 10°C-16°C – just like wine. other ways, as well as enjoy other local If local history beckons, head for products from Switzerland, such as its Château d’Aigle and its Vine and Wine world-famous cheese. Museum (www.chateauaigle.ch) near Switzerland is renowned for its hiking Montreux, and Château de Chillon in and walking trails, and for this its wine Veytaux. Château de Chillon, Switzerland’s regions are no exception. The canton of most visited historical monument (www. Vaud has created eight different routes, chillon.ch), is an ‘island castle’, built on a scattered across the region. Download large rock island just off the Lake Geneva the app on to your smartphone and it will shoreline. Its history harks back to Roman guide you along the route, providing times, though most of its structure was information on the history of sites built during the Middle Ages. It served as passed. There is even a quiz for added a summer home to the Counts of Savoy entertainment. Go to ‘Services’ at www. in the 12th century and later as an myvaud.ch/walks and click on the Mobile infamous prison. Since 1954, it has also App Vaud:Guide link to begin. housed the Confrérie du Guillon, Vaud’s For those who prefer to kick up their version of Burgundy’s Confrérie des feet and watch the vineyards go by, the Chevaliers du Tastevin. Lavaux Express (www.lavauxexpress.ch) It offers the most dramatic wine cellar offers relaxing road-train visits through of the region, with its tall stone, cathedral- the vineyards of Lavaux or to its food like arches. Worthy of any noble residence, markets. During the season from 30 it also has its own 1.25ha vineyard called March to 30 October, there are four the Clos de Chillon. Vinified by the different itineraries to choose from, or you winemakers of Henri Badoux in Aigle, its can hire it for a personalised itinerary. wines can be tasted following a guided
If your Olympic spirit gets the better visit, or purchased on-site. Bailly Vincent Crespo; José Carlier/www.davidcarlierphotography.com; D Photograph:
116 | Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) • SPONSORED GUIDE • Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) | 117 sponsored guide sponsored guide
(www.restaurantduchasseur.ch) is only a of you, you can test your blind tasting skills three-minute walk away. in Lausanne for the price of CHF15. The At Les Frères Dubois (www.lfd.ch) in Concours Jean-Louis tasting challenge Cully, call in for a tasting of new releases, was created in 1941 and blind tests five Vaud: plan a wine or of older wines going back as far as different Swiss appellations of Chasselas. 1971. Taste the magic of aged Chasselas If you guess all five appellations correctly, first-hand. Domaine Louis Bovard you will take home a diploma that shows (www.domainebovard.com) is an iconic off your tasting skills. tour to remember estate also based in Cully that is run by After all that wine tasting, you’re Louis himself, known by many as ‘The probably feeling peckish. Perhaps a bit of It can be hard to track down many of Lake Geneva Region’s most Pope of Lavaux’. In addition to tasting cheese might help to refresh the palate? some of his delicious wines, you can visit Switzerland makes many exceptional exciting wines – unless you’re there. What better incentive could an experimental vineyard in Rivaz that is cheeses, and while Gruyère might be the Lavaux Express planted with 19 different Chasselas most famous, L’Etivaz is arguably better, there be to visit to one of Switzerland’s most breathtaking areas? clones. Learn about their characteristics if less known. Similar to Gruyère but and their potential in the future of creamier and less sharp, it is produced ne of Switzerland’s most of choice is the native Chasselas, there the region’s best artisanal cheese to Switzerland’s vineyards. the way Gruyère used to be 100 years beautiful regions, with its are 54 other varieties to explore too. accompany the tasting. A region steeped in quiet beauty, the ago – with summer cow’s milk heated in tapestries of vineyards, lakes Here is a small selection of some of the Also in La Côte is Château Rochefort semi-mountainous southeastern area of traditional copper cauldrons over a and mountains, Vaud is also region’s best producers – all waiting for (www.chateau-rochefort.ch), one of the Chablais offers further vinous experiences wood-burning fire. It was created in the O the country’s second-largest wine you to call by… city of Lausanne’s five historic wineries. The off the beaten path. Cave Alain Emery 1930s by a group of Gruyère producers producer and its fourth-largest canton. In La Côte, Domaine Henri Cruchon charming host, Michel Gfeller, conducts in Aigle (www.cave-emery.ch) has won who felt that the regulations were not As a result, it offers tourists a plethora of (www.henricruchon.com) in Morges is a tastings of wines from all five properties Swiss wine tourism awards and offers a respecting the quality of their cheese. activities – wine-related and beyond. must-visit. Catherine Cruchon makes and can even fire up the fondue pot or number of memorable itineraries, from They began making their own cheese, some of the most terroir-driven, mineral create more sophisticated fare for special ‘winemaker for a day’ to ‘L’Ap[air]o’ naming it after their alpine village. The Wineries to visit wines in the region. Make sure to try their events. There are also quaint rooms (pronounced as in the French, apéro), in production zone is notably smaller than There are many exceptional wines single-vineyard, biodynamically farmed where you can stay, and the wonderful which participants are transported by that of Gruyère. produced in Vaud, and though its grape Chasselas. The family also serves some of Restaurant du Chasseur Up on the Diablerets glacier helicopter to the Diablerets glacier at At the Maison de L’Etivaz (www. 3,000m for a James Bond-like tasting of etivaz-aop.ch), you can learn all about its four of their wines. history and production through Walkers take in the demonstrations and tastings. You can stunning views of Lake Hit the trail then visit its ageing cellar where 20,000 Geneva over the Lavaux Beyond the winery tours in Vaud, one can rounds gently mature for at least 135 vineyard terraces take in the beauty of the vineyards in days at 10°C-16°C – just like wine. other ways, as well as enjoy other local If local history beckons, head for products from Switzerland, such as its Château d’Aigle and its Vine and Wine world-famous cheese. Museum (www.chateauaigle.ch) near Switzerland is renowned for its hiking Montreux, and Château de Chillon in and walking trails, and for this its wine Veytaux. Château de Chillon, Switzerland’s regions are no exception. The canton of most visited historical monument (www. Vaud has created eight different routes, chillon.ch), is an ‘island castle’, built on a scattered across the region. Download large rock island just off the Lake Geneva the app on to your smartphone and it will shoreline. Its history harks back to Roman guide you along the route, providing times, though most of its structure was information on the history of sites built during the Middle Ages. It served as passed. There is even a quiz for added a summer home to the Counts of Savoy entertainment. Go to ‘Services’ at www. in the 12th century and later as an myvaud.ch/walks and click on the Mobile infamous prison. Since 1954, it has also App Vaud:Guide link to begin. housed the Confrérie du Guillon, Vaud’s For those who prefer to kick up their version of Burgundy’s Confrérie des feet and watch the vineyards go by, the Chevaliers du Tastevin. Lavaux Express (www.lavauxexpress.ch) It offers the most dramatic wine cellar offers relaxing road-train visits through of the region, with its tall stone, cathedral- the vineyards of Lavaux or to its food like arches. Worthy of any noble residence, markets. During the season from 30 it also has its own 1.25ha vineyard called March to 30 October, there are four the Clos de Chillon. Vinified by the different itineraries to choose from, or you winemakers of Henri Badoux in Aigle, its can hire it for a personalised itinerary. wines can be tasted following a guided
If your Olympic spirit gets the better visit, or purchased on-site. Bailly Vincent Crespo; José Carlier/www.davidcarlierphotography.com; D Photograph:
116 | Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) • SPONSORED GUIDE • Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) | 117 sponsored guide sponsored guide
microclimate and winemaking. For example, in La Côte, the sub-region Kick’s picks: wines from the Lake Geneva Region between Geneva and Lausanne, the vineyards are set back from the lake and Les Frères Dubois, De la Tour biodynamic grapes, harvested earlier Discover Vaud are planted on undulating Dézaley-Marsens Grand Cru, than usual, with only partial malolactic hillsides, similar-looking to Lavaux 2015 91 fermentation. This allowed the those in Burgundy. This area N/A UK www.lfd.ch freshness of the grapes to remain generally produces softer- This special wine is produced from the intact. Finishes fresh and saline. grapes and wines structured, more delicate domaine’s oldest vines. Aged on its Drink 2019-2021 Alc 12.5% wines with slightly lower lees for six months in 500-litre barrels, The stunning countryside in Switzerland’s Lake Geneva Region has alcohols due to deeper soils then in a 45-year-old cask for 12 Domaine Henri Cruchon, Servagnin and less sun exposure. months. The resulting wine is Morges Grand Cru, La Côte 2015 89 won a reputation for wines offering a superb array of flavours and Lavaux’s dramatic reminiscent of a grand Savennières, N/A UK www.henricruchon.com south-facing, terraced with notes of lanolin, gunflint and Servagnin is the oldest Pinot Noir stylistic nuances. Robin Kick MW introduces grapes and styles that slopes have poorer soils orchard fruits. Drink 2019-2038 clone in Switzerland and it is reserved with less earth, and profit Alcohol 12.5% only for producers in Morges. Poised may be unfamiliar but are well worth discovering Gamay from the sun being reflected and chiselled, this 2015 displays a wild from the lake, helping with Domaine du Daley, Le Chasselas streak of spice and woodland ripeness. Its wines tend to be fuller, but Grand Réserve Villette Grand Cru, strawberries on the palate. Vinified eneva or Zurich may be Switzerland’s most beautiful regions. Chasselas, the king also more mineral and ageworthy. Its two Lavaux 2015 88 with a touch of whole clusters. better-known place names in Lavaux, its viticultural core, features The sheer viticultural diversity is jewels – Dézaley (54ha) and Calamin £32.99 Selfridges Drink 2019-2024 Alc 12.5% Switzerland, but the Canton of thousands of south-facing stone terraces. remarkable, as there are a total of 55 (16ha) – are Vaud’s only grand cru single From a drought vintage, this 2015 Vaud (one of the country’s 26 Bathed in balmy breezes and fanned by grape varieties planted. While these vineyards. They sit nestled one above provides a nice contrast to Chasselas Badoux Vins, Aigle les Murailles Gfederal states) rides on their coat-tails. lakeside palm trees, these terraced include grapes borrowed from France, the other and give a yin and yang from more classic years. Moderately Rouge, Chablais 2013 88 At its core lie Nestlé, Switzerland’s vineyards were recognised as a Germany and elsewhere, as well as experience of Chasselas – Dézaley opulent with appealing notes of sweet £31.94 Alpine Wines second-largest company; the ‘Olympic UNeSCO World Heritage Site in 2007. crossings, hybrids and several native offering density and power, while pear, honeysuckle and pineapple. The red equivalent to the winery’s City’ of Lausanne; and Montreux, home They were chiselled into its slopes species, the region’s grande dame Calamin is all lace and refinement. Drink 2019-2021 Alc 12% iconic white, Badoux’s Aigle les to arguably the greatest jazz festival in starting in the 12th century by is Chasselas. Indigenous to the The semi-mountainous Chablais, Murailles Rouge has a quintessential the world. But around its buzz, there is Cistercian monks. Over area, this variety makes up 92% meanwhile, links Lavaux and Domaine La Colombe, Féchy Swiss feel, with notes of juicy black also calmness and beauty. The vineyards time, the network of of white plantings as well as neighbouring Valais – the driest of Chasselas, La Côte 2016 88 cherries, liquorice and spice. A touch that blanket the slopes in front of Lake terraces grew, and today 60% of total plantings in Vaud. Switzerland’s wine regions. Though £19.90 The Sampler of Gamay, Garanoir and Gamaret add Geneva confirm that this is not just a there are more than 10,000 So dominant is Chasselas that Chablais’ vineyards are farthest from the A rounded and succulent Chasselas, an appealingly fleshy note to the region of industry, but of significant stone walls extending across the region’s second most lake, the warm foehn wind travels this wine was produced from palate. Drink 2019-2022 Alc 12.5% agriculture as well. 400km of the region. important white variety, the through the valley, concentrating the Vaud produces one quarter of all international Chardonnay, totals grapes. Its wines tend to be broad, nicely Swiss wine and is its second-largest wine only 1% of all plantings. concentrated and moderately powerful, crosses between Gamay and Despite the high quality, surprisingly only
region. Its vineyards frame most of the Neuchâtel Chasselas is unexpectedly with stony undertones. Reichensteiner, itself a white-skinned 1%-2% of Swiss wine is exported. Yet the northern half of Lake Geneva (known multifaceted. Sometimes gently Despite regional variations, winemaker German crossing. The latter pair were more one tastes, the more it becomes locally as Lac Léman). But its size is not spicy, round and occasionally waxy influence cannot be underestimated. created in 1970 by Agroscope, apparent why the Swiss would keep these Lake Morat its main feature: it is also one of Avenches like Pinot Grigio, with notes of orchard Traditionally, Chasselas was made to suit Switzerland’s renowned agricultural treasures for themselves. From its
Lake Neuchâtel fruit and citrus like Chardonnay, it Swiss tastes – with riper fruit, lower research facility, as varieties with greater terroir-driven Chasselas to its fresh, often Estavayer-le-Lac Chasselas Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses Payerne feels familiar yet different. acidity, a touch of residual sugar and a natural resistance to fungal diseases than surprisingly fleshy reds, these are clearly Grandson Yvonand Fribourg Catherine Cruchon of Domaine Henri little carbon dioxide to give some lift. Gamay, as well as deeper colour. wines worth discovering, be it here in Yverdon-les-Bains Cruchon in Morges further illuminates: However, change is in the air and While many of the region’s reds are Switzerland, or in any market where they Orbe Vallorbe ‘Chasselas has a unique profile because, Chasselas is becoming fresher, tauter blended to complement one another, can be tracked down. Romainmôtier to my knowledge, all other grape and drier: a welcome move for those some excellent examples can be La Sarraz Moudon Lake Joux Echallens varieties are built on at least two of the who are used to crisp, mineral- found as varietal wines in their Robin Kick MW is Le Sentier Vallée de Joux VAUD three components: alcohol, acidity and driven whites. own right. Both Plant Robert and a wine consultant, Oron Jura Gruyères aromatics. Chasselas is not strong in any Gamaret are particular successes educator and Morges Lausanne Lavaux one of these, yet it can produce Adventures in red and are worth seeking out. judge based in UNESCO Château-d'Œx remarkable wines. Moreover because it It’s not all Chasselas though, Plant Robert even has its own Switzerland. She Rolle Vevey Rougemont Rossinière is a neutral grape, it is an excellent with red varieties making up society of wine producers, St-Cergue Lake Geneva Gstaad formerly worked Montreux transmitter of terroir. If you take the time 34% of the Vaud’s vineyards. who originally came together at Christie’s in Los Col des Mosses Nyon Evian to get to know it, you will discover a The four most-planted varieties to rescue the biotype Angeles and as a Thonon Alps Leysin nuanced spectrum of textures and are Pinot Noir, Gamay – including from near extinction: Gamaret Yvoire buyer at Goedhuis Aigle Les Diablerets structures. There’s no other variety like it.’ Plant Robert, a rare, ancient Gamay www.plant-robert.ch. & Co in London. Over the following six Villars With plantings of Chasselas so biotype that is fleshier, darker and Today, Vaud produces pages, she recommends unique wine Gryon Bex widespread, it can reveal various more compact in texture – Gamaret some of the most exciting experiences, events and itineraries for
Lavey-les-Bains expressions depending on clones, soil, and Garanoir, two siblings that are Garanoir wines in Switzerland. wine lovers visiting Lake Geneva Region Geneva
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microclimate and winemaking. For example, in La Côte, the sub-region Kick’s picks: wines from the Lake Geneva Region between Geneva and Lausanne, the vineyards are set back from the lake and Les Frères Dubois, De la Tour biodynamic grapes, harvested earlier Discover Vaud are planted on undulating Dézaley-Marsens Grand Cru, than usual, with only partial malolactic hillsides, similar-looking to Lavaux 2015 91 fermentation. This allowed the those in Burgundy. This area N/A UK www.lfd.ch freshness of the grapes to remain generally produces softer- This special wine is produced from the intact. Finishes fresh and saline. grapes and wines structured, more delicate domaine’s oldest vines. Aged on its Drink 2019-2021 Alc 12.5% wines with slightly lower lees for six months in 500-litre barrels, The stunning countryside in Switzerland’s Lake Geneva Region has alcohols due to deeper soils then in a 45-year-old cask for 12 Domaine Henri Cruchon, Servagnin and less sun exposure. months. The resulting wine is Morges Grand Cru, La Côte 2015 89 won a reputation for wines offering a superb array of flavours and Lavaux’s dramatic reminiscent of a grand Savennières, N/A UK www.henricruchon.com south-facing, terraced with notes of lanolin, gunflint and Servagnin is the oldest Pinot Noir stylistic nuances. Robin Kick MW introduces grapes and styles that slopes have poorer soils orchard fruits. Drink 2019-2038 clone in Switzerland and it is reserved with less earth, and profit Alcohol 12.5% only for producers in Morges. Poised may be unfamiliar but are well worth discovering Gamay from the sun being reflected and chiselled, this 2015 displays a wild from the lake, helping with Domaine du Daley, Le Chasselas streak of spice and woodland ripeness. Its wines tend to be fuller, but Grand Réserve Villette Grand Cru, strawberries on the palate. Vinified eneva or Zurich may be Switzerland’s most beautiful regions. Chasselas, the king also more mineral and ageworthy. Its two Lavaux 2015 88 with a touch of whole clusters. better-known place names in Lavaux, its viticultural core, features The sheer viticultural diversity is jewels – Dézaley (54ha) and Calamin £32.99 Selfridges Drink 2019-2024 Alc 12.5% Switzerland, but the Canton of thousands of south-facing stone terraces. remarkable, as there are a total of 55 (16ha) – are Vaud’s only grand cru single From a drought vintage, this 2015 Vaud (one of the country’s 26 Bathed in balmy breezes and fanned by grape varieties planted. While these vineyards. They sit nestled one above provides a nice contrast to Chasselas Badoux Vins, Aigle les Murailles Gfederal states) rides on their coat-tails. lakeside palm trees, these terraced include grapes borrowed from France, the other and give a yin and yang from more classic years. Moderately Rouge, Chablais 2013 88 At its core lie Nestlé, Switzerland’s vineyards were recognised as a Germany and elsewhere, as well as experience of Chasselas – Dézaley opulent with appealing notes of sweet £31.94 Alpine Wines second-largest company; the ‘Olympic UNeSCO World Heritage Site in 2007. crossings, hybrids and several native offering density and power, while pear, honeysuckle and pineapple. The red equivalent to the winery’s City’ of Lausanne; and Montreux, home They were chiselled into its slopes species, the region’s grande dame Calamin is all lace and refinement. Drink 2019-2021 Alc 12% iconic white, Badoux’s Aigle les to arguably the greatest jazz festival in starting in the 12th century by is Chasselas. Indigenous to the The semi-mountainous Chablais, Murailles Rouge has a quintessential the world. But around its buzz, there is Cistercian monks. Over area, this variety makes up 92% meanwhile, links Lavaux and Domaine La Colombe, Féchy Swiss feel, with notes of juicy black also calmness and beauty. The vineyards time, the network of of white plantings as well as neighbouring Valais – the driest of Chasselas, La Côte 2016 88 cherries, liquorice and spice. A touch that blanket the slopes in front of Lake terraces grew, and today 60% of total plantings in Vaud. Switzerland’s wine regions. Though £19.90 The Sampler of Gamay, Garanoir and Gamaret add Geneva confirm that this is not just a there are more than 10,000 So dominant is Chasselas that Chablais’ vineyards are farthest from the A rounded and succulent Chasselas, an appealingly fleshy note to the region of industry, but of significant stone walls extending across the region’s second most lake, the warm foehn wind travels this wine was produced from palate. Drink 2019-2022 Alc 12.5% agriculture as well. 400km of the region. important white variety, the through the valley, concentrating the Vaud produces one quarter of all international Chardonnay, totals grapes. Its wines tend to be broad, nicely Swiss wine and is its second-largest wine only 1% of all plantings. concentrated and moderately powerful, crosses between Gamay and Despite the high quality, surprisingly only region. Its vineyards frame most of the Neuchâtel Chasselas is unexpectedly with stony undertones. Reichensteiner, itself a white-skinned 1%-2% of Swiss wine is exported. Yet the northern half of Lake Geneva (known multifaceted. Sometimes gently Despite regional variations, winemaker German crossing. The latter pair were more one tastes, the more it becomes locally as Lac Léman). But its size is not spicy, round and occasionally waxy influence cannot be underestimated. created in 1970 by Agroscope, apparent why the Swiss would keep these Lake Morat its main feature: it is also one of Avenches like Pinot Grigio, with notes of orchard Traditionally, Chasselas was made to suit Switzerland’s renowned agricultural treasures for themselves. From its
Lake Neuchâtel fruit and citrus like Chardonnay, it Swiss tastes – with riper fruit, lower research facility, as varieties with greater terroir-driven Chasselas to its fresh, often Estavayer-le-Lac Chasselas Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses Payerne feels familiar yet different. acidity, a touch of residual sugar and a natural resistance to fungal diseases than surprisingly fleshy reds, these are clearly Grandson Yvonand Fribourg Catherine Cruchon of Domaine Henri little carbon dioxide to give some lift. Gamay, as well as deeper colour. wines worth discovering, be it here in Yverdon-les-Bains Cruchon in Morges further illuminates: However, change is in the air and While many of the region’s reds are Switzerland, or in any market where they Orbe Vallorbe ‘Chasselas has a unique profile because, Chasselas is becoming fresher, tauter blended to complement one another, can be tracked down. Romainmôtier to my knowledge, all other grape and drier: a welcome move for those some excellent examples can be La Sarraz Moudon Lake Joux Echallens varieties are built on at least two of the who are used to crisp, mineral- found as varietal wines in their Robin Kick MW is Le Sentier Vallée de Joux VAUD three components: alcohol, acidity and driven whites. own right. Both Plant Robert and a wine consultant, Oron Jura Gruyères aromatics. Chasselas is not strong in any Gamaret are particular successes educator and Morges Lausanne Lavaux one of these, yet it can produce Adventures in red and are worth seeking out. judge based in UNESCO Château-d'Œx remarkable wines. Moreover because it It’s not all Chasselas though, Plant Robert even has its own Switzerland. She Rolle Vevey Rougemont Rossinière is a neutral grape, it is an excellent with red varieties making up society of wine producers, St-Cergue Lake Geneva Gstaad formerly worked Montreux transmitter of terroir. If you take the time 34% of the Vaud’s vineyards. who originally came together at Christie’s in Los Col des Mosses Nyon Evian to get to know it, you will discover a The four most-planted varieties to rescue the biotype Angeles and as a Thonon Alps Leysin nuanced spectrum of textures and are Pinot Noir, Gamay – including from near extinction: Gamaret Yvoire buyer at Goedhuis Aigle Les Diablerets structures. There’s no other variety like it.’ Plant Robert, a rare, ancient Gamay www.plant-robert.ch. & Co in London. Over the following six Villars With plantings of Chasselas so biotype that is fleshier, darker and Today, Vaud produces pages, she recommends unique wine Gryon Bex widespread, it can reveal various more compact in texture – Gamaret some of the most exciting experiences, events and itineraries for
Lavey-les-Bains expressions depending on clones, soil, and Garanoir, two siblings that are Garanoir wines in Switzerland. wine lovers visiting Lake Geneva Region Geneva
114 | Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) • SPONSORED GUIDE SPONSORED GUIDE • Lake Geneva Region (canton of Vaud) | 115