I had no idea there was so much wine in Switzerland until I moved to Lausanne. And I had no idea that Lausanne was just 10 minutes away by train to the best wine area in the country -- the Lavaux vineyards.
To get there, you take the train to Grandvaux and then you start walking through the vines and end at Lutry station. It will take you about 90 minutes to walk there...and it's mostly downhill.
Or you could do it the way I did, which turned out to be the hard way. I arrived in Lutry, which is located at lake level and then had to walk up the challenging hills to get to Grandvaux. That was not the best idea in the world, but I did get a fantastic glute workout along the way.
The traditional grape in this region is Chasselas. If you've never heard of it, you are not alone. I had never heard of it until I moved here. It's a white grape and about 75 percent of the vineyards in the area grow it. It makes a full-bodied white wine that goes well with most Swiss foods such as fondue and perch. It's also a nice afternoon sipping wine, especially on hot summer days.
The do grow some red grapes in the area. These are Pinot Noir and Gamay. I'm going to be honest here and tell you that while the Swiss white wines are generally excellent, the red wines are hit and miss. They are worth trying, but not all are amazing.
The site is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of the reasons is the countless terraces overlooking Lake Geneva. It's worth the hike. Just bring your walking shoes as even going downhill can be challenging.
Where would you recommend staying? We would love to be close to the vineyards and be able to taste the wines, we only have one day and night there! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe vineyards are right beside Lausanne so you could stay in Lausanne and take the train over to Vevey or Lutry- which is just a few stops. This gives you the option of checking out Lausanne and the vineyards at the same time.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you really just want a romantic walk through the vineyards, you may want to try the place in the link below. I haven't stayed at this BnB, but I know the area and it's right in the vineyards. If you have a car, you can drive down to Lutry or Vevey for dinner. There are numerous little restaurants along the waterfront walking path.
Uber is also available in the area which could be useful so you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. Also, you can walk to the waterfront (as it's downhill), but it would be a tiring uphill walk after dinner.
Links:
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/fr/switzerland-grandvaux-villa-lavaux-details.html#img-3
This website is English: http://www.villalavaux.ch/welcome.php#prettyPhoto