Discoveries

Lavaux is a picturesque wine-growing region in Switzerland. It is a perfect summer holiday destination, studded with postcard-perfect medieval towns and breathtaking views over Lake Geneva.

Christine Austin hits the high road in the Alps as she sets in search of Switzerland’s best wines. Most of the time, when I am travelling overseas, I have to explain where Yorkshire is, but not in Switzerland. Everyone in the Swiss wine business knows about Yorkshire – or at least about the company that is the major importer of their wines. Now based in Bradford, Joelle Nebbe-Mornod is Swiss-born and under her company name of Alpine Wines she has opened up the world of Swiss wines to UK consumers.

One bright October afternoon two days before harvest, Swiss winemaker Blaise Duboux chucked a fallen quince over the iron fence girding his terrace and into the sloping vineyard next door. It should have easily rolled 600 precipitous feet down to shimmering Lake Geneva, plied by stately steamers and backdropped by the snowcapped French Alps across the water. But some 40 levels of terraces staircase the hillside, intervening.

Created in 1928, and Hong Kong's oldest hotel, the legendary "Grande Dame of the Far East" continues to set hotel standards worldwide, offering a blend of the best Eastern and Western hospitality in an atmosphere of unmatched classical grandeur and timeless elegance. A stay at the hotel allows you to re-live the glamour of travel of a by-gone era and explore the many antiques and historical artifacts on display around the hotel. The hotel also boasts 14 bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantoms. Like all great hotels around the world, the Peninsula offers various cuisines including a Swiss restaurant: the Chesa...

By Lauren Mowery in USA Today Travel  / November 2015

Switzerland's vineyards hide in plain sight. It seems impossible that tourists driving around the compact country wouldn't notice the thousands upon thousands of green vines planted neatly across rows of stone terraces, yet Swiss winemakers report exactly that.

Milvignes is now the largest winegrowing commune in canton of Neuchâtel, with 145 hectares of vines. Overlooking the vineyards, this walk offers stunning views of Lake Neuchâtel and of the Mont Vully in clear weather.

Location: 6 minutes by train South West from Neuchâtel, start: Auvernier tram "littoral" stop or train station, end: Colombier train station, distance: 4.4 km, duration: 1 hour 20 minutes, difference in levels: 148 meters upwards and 94 meters downwards, difficulty: easy walk

From Neuville to Cressier, you will pass through beautiful vineyards and picturesque villages with a warm ambience. With a vineyard of over 50 hectares, Cressier is the fifth largest wine-growing municipalities in the canton of Neuchâtel. Very pleasant and without particular difficulty, the ride will let you enjoy the sun, offers stunning views of Lake Biel and sets condition for a wine tasting on arrival!

Location: 15 minutes by train North East from Neuchâtel, start: La Neuveville train station, end: Cressier NE train station, distance : 6 kilometers, duration : 1 hour 30 minutes, difference in levels: 73 meters upwards and 45 meters downwards, difficulty : easy walk

This walk takes you into the legend of Farinet, the famous counterfeiter who was buried in the village of Saillon. Called the Robin Hood of the Alps, he was figured as a benefactor of the poor and as a hero for the Valais folk. You will discover the wolrd’s smallest vineyard registered, located above the village, with only three vine stocks.

Location: 24 minutes by bus North-East from Martigny, start: Saillon, Place Farinet, end: Saillon, Place Farinet, distance: 8 kilometers, duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (non stop), difference in levels: 419 meters upwards and downwards, difficulty: moderate

Small appellation of the Nord Vaudois region, Bonvillars includes some 190 hectares of vineyards around the towns of Yverdon and Grandson. This educational trail on the theme of the vine, the vineyard and the wine is the perfect opportunity to discover the wine heritage of this region. A stroll through the harmonious landscapes, on the idyllic shores of Lake Neuchâtel.

Situation : 20 minutes by bus from Yverdon or 10 minutes from Grandson, start: Bonvillars, La Cour, end: Bonvillars, La Cour, distance: 2.6 kilometers, duration: 50 minutes, difference in levels: 60 meters upwards and downwards, difficulty : easy walk

The Mendrisiotto is the southernmost vineyard of Switzerland. Take a tour of the hills above Mendrisio to Castel San Pietro and discover the vineyards and its old towns. Stroll amid rows of vines, renowned for producing a refined Merlot. And let the magnificent panoramas amaze you.

Location: 20 minutes by train South of Lugano, start: Mendrisio train station, end: Mendrisio train station, distance : 8 km, duration: 2 hours 30 minutes (non stop), difference in levels : 225 meters upwards and 236 meters downwards, difficulty: moderate