Vaud
the oldest vineyards in Switzerland
Vaud’s vineyards and winemaking traditions have a very long history, with a first reference to vines in the year 996, and woods above Lake Geneva in Lavaux cleared by monks 100 years later. These are among the oldest vineyards in Switzerland and northern Europe. Their reputation for quality was already being noted in medieval times. The most famous of Vaud’s six regions is Lavaux, since 2007 a Unesco World Heritage site of the same name. Its dramatic terraced vineyards overlook Lake Geneva and the Alps. This is Chasselas country par excellence, with tiny Calamin and Dézaley boasting world-class reputations.
Avant-garde gardens
La Côte is the largest region, with 2000 hectares, notable for its gentle hillsides overlooking the lake. The bucolic landscape is home to many very fine wines, including those from avant-garde organic wineries, a collection of chateaus and scores of small family operations famed for their precision-oriented professional approach to making wine.
Four Distinct Regions
The four other regions are small but each has its own distinct profile and some remarkable vineyards: Chablais, from Montreux to Villeneuve is a kind of hyphen between Lake Geneva and the Alps. Bonvillars, Côtes de l’Orbe and Vully are three small quiet regions north of Lausanne and La Côte, stretching out along lakes Morat/Murten and Neuchatel, with some startling wine success stories.
wine growth in peace time
The region is a storehouse of fine old tales centred around wines, from a nearly-black 1942 Chasselas opened 75 years later to astonishment at its quality to Bonvillars wines from the ancient village of Champagne that can’t carry their village name after the bigger version of the name sued them, to Europe’s oldest wine auction held annually by Switzerland’s biggest public vine owner, the city of Lausanne. And then there is the political solution, in this country famed for its diplomatic capabilities, and no wars for eight centuries, of Vully AOC: 50 HA of its vines are in canton Vaud, another 100 in canton Fribourg, and the growers came together in 2011 to create the only AOC from two cantons.
*The Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (or AOC) sets the rules on all French wines. This regulatory commission makes sure that producers who wish to use a certain name for their wine (Champagne, for example) must follow a certain set of rules in making their product.
the rise of organic
White wine fell a bit from favour at the start of this century when consumer trends shifted, but perhaps more importantly, the rise in popularity of organic winemaking encouraged greater diversity, including more reds. And climate change concerns boosted new plantings of disease-resistant grapes including Gamaret and Garanoir, developed by Swiss researchers near Lausanne, plus Merlot. Organic versions of traditionally successful high-quality Pinot Noir and Gamay are now widespread.
15th century nobility
Two curious facts: In Vaud Chasselas wines here generally known by their village name rather than the grape name because the grape is so widely planted. A very special old and rare Pinot Noir variety in La Côte called Servagnin is worth exploring, with the first vines offered as a thank you gift in the 15th century by French nobility who escaped the plague in a little lakeside village near Morges.
