Grape varieties in Bonvillars AOC

Chasselas is the Vaud emblematic grape, inseparable from an aperitif or a good fondue. If this is true in the south of the canton (Lavaux AOC, La Côte AOC and Chablais AOC), the balance between the types of grapes is different in the north (Côtes de l’Orbe AOC, Bonvillars AOC and Vully AOC). In Bonvillars, Chasselas is closely followed by Pinot Noir, the most popular red grape variety in Switzerland. With nearly 115 hectares in 2017, the red varieties represent more than 60% of the vines grown on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel. This is less than in the Côtes de l’Orbe (77%), but more than in the Vully (54%).

In the “top 5”, apart from Chasselas and Pinot Noir, there is indeed Gamay – another grape variety that is widespread in Switzerland, which is used, like Pinot Noir, to vinify rosé wines – the Garanoir and the Gamaret. These were obtained at Pully in 1970, from a cross between Gamay and Reichensteiner (white grape variety).