As someone who grew up in the beautiful Pacific NW and is spoiled by mountains, I remember laughing when I recently did a "hike" in my mom's home state of Massachusetts. Around these parts, we'd have called it a hill. Switzerland, however, can hold its own. In addition to the stunning landscapes, the country also offers superb under the radar wines that any oenophile should explore.
The sloped Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are a short train ride from Lausanne and offer stunning views of Lake Geneva. This spot also happens to be a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the NYTimes picked the Vaud region as one of its
52 places to visit in 2016. I was in Switzerland 3 years ago (yes, it has taken me that long to post about this visit!) in the fall and happened to get to the vineyards at the perfect time when the late October sun bathed the vines in a golden hue.
Golden hour
After walking the vineyards on our own, we crossed under the busy highway and came to
Vinorama, a winery. They first presented a beautiful video about the family history of a Lavaux vineyard throughout the seasons and we then did a tasting opting for Switzerland's best whites. I recommend you follow do the same as that is Switzerland's speciality, especially the
Chasselas grape.
While Swiss wine should be enjoyed by us all, they only export roughly 2% abroad so be sure and try this unique wine in its original setting.
Tasty meats, bread, and cheese accompanied our wine and after seeing how beautifully the cheese was sliced, we even bought a fancy cheese slicer (you can find them at
Globus in Lausanne!).
