Gastronomy and wines - Swiss Passions Tourisme en Suisse et Rhône Alpes

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Neuchatel

Gastronomy and wines

A gastronomic review for those interested in fine food. From the «bistros» to the «gastros» , oenological discoveries, the view of the specialists, interviews with restaurant owners and outstanding wine-growers. Everything you need to know about eating in Neuchatel and those sometimes unrecognized regional wine treasures.

The house of the Prussian

Between untamed waterfalls and romantic mills

It is hard to imagine the existence of such a haven of greenery only a few minutes from the centre of Neuchatel. Nonetheless, once through the maze of highway turnoffs you enter another world: in the midst of wild cascades, of ruined watermills built from the 16th to the 19th century and ancient trees stands the imposing house of the Prussian. This former brewery has been superbly restored and now houses a fine restaurant and a charming hotel. Ten rooms – each one different and some a large as an apartment- recount a part of the life of their former owners, one of whom, from Prussia, gave his name to the building.

In search of the avatars of Pinot Noir

by Alexandre Truffer, ©RomanDuVin.ch 2006

Highly appreciated in the summer, the rosé wines enjoy a keen seasonal interest that is always renewed. Their freshness and lightness make them indispensable companions at barbecues in the garden or on the banks of the lake. The most interesting of these summer wines originates from the vineyards of Neuchâtel.

The Œil-de-Perdrix, a native of this wine-growing canton, gets its character and its finesse from the Pinot Noir vine, vinified in a particular way. In the same region, this burgundian vine, following vinification without fermentation in vats, also gives white wines that go by another name, Perdrix Blanche.

L’Œil-de-Perdrix, rosé national, read more (in french)

La Perdrix Blanche, une spécialité exclusivement neuchâteloise, read more (in french)

Informations pratiques, read more (in french)

Château d'Auvernier: 400 years of history

The château d’Auvernier looms over the banks of the Neuchâtel lake and, since 1603, the family that owns it dominates the social, political and cultural landscape of the region.

The first written document mentioning Auvernier dates back to the beginning of the 11th century. In 1011, Averniacum, its Latin name, appeared in a donation made by Philippe the 3rd, the king of Burgundy, to his wife Irmengarde. In the course of the following centuries, various parchments listed this locality and certified that it already contained vineyards. Following a dispute between the lords of Colombier and Neuchâtel, a ruling in 1346 fixed the limits of the district.

Until the middle of the 16th century, the château's present location was without buildings. The construction of the actual residence, begun by Blaise Junod, a high-ranking local magistrate, was completed in 1559. Testimonies of the period confirm that the large arched cellars were a part of the original architecture. Despite the restorations made over the centuries, the general structure of the buildings has not changed.

Liberalization of Absinthe

The "Green Fairy" on parole

It was in front of the Hotel des Six Communes, in Môtiers, on March 1st, 2005, that the green fairy, confined in a cage and escorted by a police force and a brass band, was liberated after almost one hundred years of captivity. The sulphurous green (or blue) lady whose therapeutic properties are recognized - the formula was first created by a doctor from Val-de-Travers before it was taken over by Henri-Louis Pernod - was accused of driving crazy those who yielded too often to its charms. The party presumed guilty of damaging neurons: thuyon, a substance released by the absinthe's immune system.

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