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by Alexandre Truffer, ©RomanDuVin.ch 2006{  Did you know that Swiss champagne was made in the Neuchâtel region in the 19th century? Did you doubt that this product was then exported to Bombay and to New York? No? Well neither did I! While driving through Val de Travers, I could not imagine that this little rural region once contained such a viticultural rarity. It should be made clear that this small valley, which traverses the mountains of the canton, does not have vineyards. There are no signs that the little village of Môtiers shelters the house of Mauler, a big name among Swiss sparkling wines.
It is impossible to speak of the epic of the bubbles of Val de travers without reminiscing about the buildings that make this wine-making enterprise a little unusual. After all, the cellar is located in an old Benedictine monastery. The presence of a crypt, practically shared by the two churches, underlines the importance of this convent which also served as a hospice. Recent searches trace the remnants of one chapel to the 6th century, which makes it the earliest place of Christian worship in the region, perhaps even the whole of Switzerland.
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Switzerland, french part 
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