Swiss wine country excursions: rolling over the hills of five cantons and overlooking three lakes, the Trois Lacs wine area of Switzerland includes 1,000 hectares of vineyards. Though small, this winemaking wonderland stretching through Cantons Neuchatel, Jura, Bern, Fribourg and Vaud is certainly beautiful.
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The Trois Lacs or Three Lakes is the smallest of Switzerland's six wine-producing regions, spanning from the Lac de Neuchatel (Neuenburgersee) to the west, the Lac de Bienne (Bielersee) to the northeast and the Lac de Morat (Murtensee) to the southeast. Yet, since most of the vineyards are located on these lakes' western flanks, the bulk of this wine region lies within a 25-kilometre radius of Neuchatel City.
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Switzerland's largest wine-growing cantons, in order of size, are Valais, Vaud, Geneva and Ticino. They account for about 11,500 of the country's 15,000 hectares of vineyards.
The fifth largest region is the group of ten German-speaking winemaking cantons, including Graubunden, which have such small wine-growing areas that they are grouped together as one region. However, at around 2,600 hectares, it is still nearly three times the size of the Trois Lacs.
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When to go
Whether you opt for a day trip, weekend jaunt or longer holiday, the area's road, boat and rail network is excellent, and information in English is readily available.
Spring and summer, when the weather is typically good, and wines from the previous year are just coming onto the market, are obvious times to plan a trip to this region straddling the German- and French-speaking parts of Switzerland.
But in early autumn there's a good chance for an Indian summer; the grapes are ripening to picking point, and the vineyard is buzzing as everyone gears up for harvest. For winery hoppers that may mean less individual attention from vintners, but compensation comes in the form of harvest festivals (a few are listed at the end of this article), where wide selections of local wines can be tasted.
Heading out
For the wine tourist the main attraction is discovering new information, whether it is unusual grape varieties or different winemaking methods--but more on that later.
Aside from over 100 wineries in the area--usually open on Friday evenings, Saturday mornings and by appointment--caveaux or cellars are good bets for wine tastings. They are open for a few hours each week and provide selections of local wines for both tasting and buying.
Also, be on the lookout for events at other times of the year, such as the launches of new wines that can start as early as January. Other ideas include visiting a wine museum or losing yourself in the to-die-for landscapes on a sign-posted walk through a vineyard.
Neuchatel (600...
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