On foot or by bike, zigzagging in the Chablais vineyards

The Chablais’ near 1500 acres (600 hectares) between Villeneuve and Lavey-Village cover a bit more than 15% of all the Pays de Vaud’s wine producing land. Our itinerary through its most beautiful hillsides will lead you from the shores of the Gyronne via Antagnes to the screes of Yvorne. A unique opportunity to understand the meaningfulness of generations of wine growers who colonised the best slopes: Antagnes, Ollon, Verschiez, Aigle and Yvorne. The landmarks are as much geographical and physical as they are gastronomic and hedonistic. The Aigle and Yvorne Chasselas are emblematic of the mineral tang of the Chablais, two thirds of this Swiss variety of wine coming from the area. With its cooperatives, its salespersons and its wine producers, the region is a microcosm of Vaud, to be travelled on foot or by bike, without forgetting to stop for a drink!

Pierre Thomas : Professional journalist for thirty years and specialised in wines and gastronomy for a dozen years. Vinum magazines correspondent in French speaking Switzerland, he has contributed to many guides including the Guide des vignerons de Suisse romande (24 Heures). He has recently published Vignobles suisses (Favre) at the end of 2003 with photographs by Régis Colombo.