Are vineyards unsuitable in savoyard country? It is easy to forget that this plant can put up with difficult conditions when the combination of exposure and altitude is favorable. Add to that soil shaped by the glaciers of the Quaternary era which, on receding, left moraines, rock masses whose composition is very favorable to vine culture. Addresses to discover in this new region - meet the producers who tend to it:

Vins Bussat - The Bussat family has from time immemorial diversified its activities. In 1971, Jean-François opened a camping site, «La Colombière», that rapidly gained its reputation as well as its four stars. An inexhaustible worker, the young entrepreneur did not stop here but went on to develop a vineyard to supplement the activity of the camping site. Planted in 1974, the first Gamay and Malpertuis stocks, the semi-sparkling chasselas, gave their first press in 1976. Pierre, Jean-François' son, today continues the family adventure by simultaneously managing the camping site and the wine-growing estate.

Informations and contact: Camping La Colombière – 166 chemin neuf, 74160 Neydens. Open every day during the tourist season.Tel. +33 (0)450 351 314. Production and sale of white, rosé and red wines, and of grape juice. Visit the vineyard every
Monday at 4:30 pm during the tourist season.

Cave du Vieux Chêne - Henri, an enthusiast and a graduate in viticulture-oenology, collects old vines found in the region. His cellar, where the produce from his vineyards in Marignier and Sciez are vinified and sold, is open to wine sampling. He also provides explanations about the various wine making methods and will, on request, conduct introductory seminars to wine-tasting. A cellar that is also open during the grape harvest where it is possible to follow the progress of the work of this crucial period of the year.

Informations and contact: Henri Garin Davet, Saint-Denis - 74440 Mieussy. Manufacture and sale of wines of Savoy. Visits possible on request : 2 € / pers. Tel. +33 (0)450 430 564

Carra vineyards: an unexplored region ! - A distinctive feature of the Carra region is its location in the free zone, straddling the Franco-Swiss border. By 1963, Jean-Marie Chappuis' father, a nurseryman-breeder (he designed his own plans for the vineyards), had already acquired the AOC Vin de Savoie title for the Carra vineyard. Today, four hectares of vines are cultivated to give 2/3 white wine (chasselas) and 1/3 rosé wine (pinot/gamay). An estate that Jean-Marie manages today with the diligence of a respected eco-friendly wine grower, intervening only when necessary with appropriate products. Fruity, lively and subtly scented, the white wine produced in Ville-la-Grand goes particularly well with fish and seafood (especially oysters) as well as with all cheese dishes. As for rosé, it is great with fish from the lake. A wine that you are invited to taste every Saturday morning in the cellar. An occasion to find out a little more about the history of carra wines and to discover the old winepress, dating back to 1869, which runs alongside the ultramodern 22 hectolitre pneumatic winepress.

Informations and contact: Coteau de Carra - 74100 Ville-la-Grand. Jean Marie Chappuis.Wines of Savoy AOC, white and rosé. Sale in the cellar Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm or on request. Tel. + 33(0)450 378 844

Photo: New and old winepresses (1869) with JM Chappuis - S. Roulet, Réseau Touristique du Genevois Haut-Savoyard