par Alexandre Truffer, ©RomanDuVin.ch 2007 

563: A tidal wave caused by a tumbling boulder destroys the ancient town of Glérolles, its inhabitants rebuild the town away from the shores of the lake and name it St. Saphorin.
908: a document talks about "La Vaux de Lutry".
1079: The emperor of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire offers the bishop of Lausanne Lavaux his support in the feud against the Investitures.
1138 :The word Lavaux appears for the first time in a document.
1164:The monks of the Hautcrêt Abbey acquire rights to the vines in Dézaley.
1245: The laymen manage the vineyard on behalf of the Cistercians.
1536: The Bernese impose Reformation on the Vaud nation and take over the Lavaux ecclesiastic vineyards.
1798:The Vaudoise Revolution expel the Bernese.  The vines of His Excellency wind up in the canton which then resells them to refloat its exchequer. The city of Lausanne then becomes the largest vineyard owner in the canton.
1861:The Simplon railway line connects Lausanne to Villeneuve.
1886: The phylloxera devastates vineyards in the region.

Steps taken to protect Lavaux
1941: The Vaud canton architect of the time draws up a plan to protect Dézaley.
1977: The ecologist Franz Weber launches the popular initiative "Save Lavaux", which is supported by the people of Vaud. .
1999:A proposal by Professor Barblan, a historian and museologist, to include Lavaux as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
2000: Interpellation of the Grand Council by Congressman Alain Parisod.
2003: Mandate of State Councilor M. Biéler for a preliminary study.
November 2003:Presentation to the concerned districts, their support in the project implementation.
February 2004: Creation of the dossier in Bern (OFC) with a view to its inclusion in the list.
End of December 2004: Decision of the Confederation to include Lavaux in the preliminary Swiss list. 
March 2005: Creation of the Association for the inclusion of Lavaux as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (AILU). 
March to November 2005: Launch of the studies, constitution of the candidature file.
15th December 2005:Submission of the file to the Federal Office of Culture (OFC).
21st December 2005: Submission of the file to UNESCO in Paris. 
August 2006: ICOMOS expertise on site.
14th May 2007:Positive notice by the International ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) to the Federal Office of Culture.
28th June 2007: At its 31st session held in Christchurch (New Zealand), the World Heritage Committee agrees to include Lavaux in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
20 - 22 September 2007: Lavaux celebrates.

The Appellations d'Origine Contrôlées in Lavaux 
Lutry 73 hectares
Villette 176 hectares
Epesses 134 hectares
Calamin 16 hectares
Dézaley 54 hectares
Saint-Saphorin128 hectares
Chardonne 121 hectares
This is a total of 702 hectares to which 107 hectares of Vevey-Montreux and 20 hectares of Lutry that are not in the zone defined by UNESCO should be added.

The 2006 grape harvest in Lavaux
It should be noted that hail in 2005, which affected Lavaux very badly, is responsible for a deficit of 2 million bottles from this year's vintage.
Chasselas 4,265,000 bottles (77%)
Pinot Noir 600,000 bottles  (10%)
Gamay 300,000 bottles (5%)
Gamaret 60,000 bottles (1%)
Garanoir 60,000 bottles (1%)
Various 350,000 bottles (6%)

Bibliographic sources:
Register of the 2006 grape harvest.

by Alexandre Truffer, ©RomanDuVin.ch 2007 

If one had to choose the most beautiful Helvetian vineyard, Lavaux would undoubtedly win the crown. Composed of superimposed terraces spread out between Lake Léman and the forest, this wine-producing region seems to have been shaped specifically for depiction on postcards. This was probably not the prime motivation for the Cistercian monks who, in the Twelfth century, began clearing the steep land they got from the Bishop of Lausanne.

Their work, spanning several centuries, has made this corner of the Riviera look like the terraced farms in the Andes. These plots of land, supported by high stone walls, are the reason that the Lavaux vineyards are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Lavaux terraces encompass eight specific appellations. Six are named after districts (Lutry, Villette, Epesses, Chardonne, St. Saphorin and Vevey-Montreux) while the other two, Dézaley and Calamin, are classified as the Grand Cru. Each of these AOC has developed its own didactic track which focuses on the peculiarities of its region. In a collaborative effort, they were linked together to form the current 32 km long route, called Discovering the Lavaux terraces, which connects the Chillon Château near Montreux to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.

The roads bordering the steep terraces of Lavaux, where the most famous Chasselas grow, offer a magnificent view of the Leman region and the French Alps. While their durable surface perhaps annoys enthusiasts of rustic hikes,  it allows families to bring along strollers, bicycles and tricycles.

Practical information

Length and difficulty of the trail
The whole 32 kilometer walk, from the Château de Chillon to Musée Olympique, takes about eight hours. The various intermediate trails take a little over an hour each.
The path follows the contours of the hills all the way down to the lake. It offers endless downslopes which are sometimes significant, but without other difficulties.

How to get there? Boats, trains, buses or cars have regular links between Lausanne and Montreux. The villages situated between these two cities enjoy good rail and road service.

The didactic signposts
The didactic signposts offer information in French, German and English about the common appellations, the history of the region and the work of the Lavaux wine producers.

Where to find a map of the hike?
Brochures describing the hike are usually available at the tourist offices and with the shopkeepers in Lavaux.

Relaxation for the hiker
This region contains the largest number of restaurants and pubs in the canton. The only challenge lies in making the right choice...

by Alexandre Truffer, ©RomanDuVin.ch 2007   

Jean-Luc and Pierre-Yves. These two names reflect a domain that is in the process of creating its own identity. Not just in the area surrounding Féchy, but also abroad. The duo of young wine-growers was interviewed by the press during the American Cup in Valence, where their labels held an honourable place on the Defender Bar, which was organized by the Swiss team from Alinghi. But this feat only represents the surface, as the Vodois business believes that selling wine outside Switzerland isn't ideal.

If exporting proves to be possible, it calls for a certain combativeness. The Kursner brothers have this quality and have been exploring the French market for ten years. Between fairs and exhibitions, Jean-Luc and Pierre-Yves have done everything to convince French amateurs that Switzerland deserves the title of wine-growing country. After a decade of effort, the results are starting to appear. Having met with a convinced exporter in 2003, Féchy wines were introduced in Paris. Today about twenty shops sell vintages from the area.

Read more (in french)

The history of the Hautecour estate dates back to the XVII century. There were only a few vineyards in Mont-sur-Rolle, and they were bought by a well-off Genevan family. As time past, the vineyards expanded beyond five hectares. The names of their proprietors changed with every generation, as the land passes on from woman to woman. In fact, in this Calvinist city's upper middle class, young men inherit banks, while young woman receive family estates.

Coraline de Wurstemberger has now taken charge, after Louise, Julie-Pauline, Adèle, Blanche and Ernestine. The present owner of the premises was introduced to the vineyard by her grandmother Théodora, who managed Hautecour until 1985, yet Coraline didn't fit the profile of a Vaud wine-grower. Born in Paris and raised in Italy, the young woman studied art restoration and then worked as a delegate at the IRCC. It was only in 1995, after her father passed away, that along with her two brothers she decided to take up the management of the estate. She began a training course at the Changins school and ended up becoming the sole proprietor in 2002. Taking over the inheritance involved selling 2.5 hectares of land and the owner's house, which allowed Coraline to rename the estate «Les Dames de Hautecour» in honour of her grandmothers.

For more information in french, click here