Wild About Wine

Wild About Wine

As one of the main wine-producing regions in Switzerland, Vaud is best savored when sampling the local vintages.

If you're only tangentially interested, check the blackboard listings in any café for local names of vins ouvert (open wines), sold by the deciliter: the fruity whites of Épesses and St-Saphorin of Lavaux (between Lausanne and Montreux); the flinty Luins, Vinzel, and other La Côte variations (between Lausanne and Geneva); or the flowery Yvorne and Aigle, the best-known names from Le Chablais (between Villeneuve and Bex). You'll be tasting the previous season's harvest (local vintages are not aged).

If time allows, drive down narrow, fountain-studded stone streets in tiny wine villages, where inns and vignobles (vineyards) offer tastings. Keep an eye peeled for hand-painted signs announcing caveau ouvert or dégustation; this indicates that a cellar owner or cooperative is pouring wine. (Do designate a driver; laws are strict.)

Local vintners welcome visitors year-round, except during harvest, which is usually in October. Some vineyards have sophisticated tasting rooms; at others, a family member gathers guests around a tasting barrel within the working cellar. You may share a barrel top or slot at the bar with locals, as these are communal gathering spots. If there is a particular winemaker you want to visit, phone ahead for an appointment. Most cellars charge for tasting, and if you occupy the winemaker's time beyond a casual pour, it is appropriate to buy a bottle unless you find the label not to your liking.

In July and August you can head for a Saturday market in Vevey, where, for the price of a commemorative glass, winemakers and tasters move from booth to booth. To boost your knowledge of wine cultivation, processing, and labeling, go to the Château d'Aigle's Musée de la Vigne et du Vin.

Interconnected hiking trails (signposted in several languages, including English, and full of informative tidbits) span the length of the shore from Ouchy to Chillon, traversing vineyards and traffic arteries from the lakefront to hillside villages. Walking the entire 32-km (19-mi) parcours viticole (wine route) takes about 8 1/2 hours, but you can also break it into smaller segments, allowing time for wine tastings and meals at local restaurants. Tourist offices can provide a copy of the specialized map that identifies the route and cellars open for tastings. (If you're doing a portion of the trail, you can easily catch a train back to your starting point, as there are hourly stops in every village along the lakefront.) Speaking of trains, if the distance and grade of the trails seem too much, you can take the bright yellow coaches of the Train des Vignes (vineyard train) through the rows of pinot noir, gamay, and chasselas vines. The train starts from Vevey's station, near the waterfront, and ends more than 2,000 feet above sea level in the village of Puidoux-Chexbres; its timetable is part of the regular CFF schedule.