An icon for French-speaking Switzerland, Chasselas is a very old variety originating in the Lemanic Arc (north of Lake Geneva), where it was already known under the name of Fendant in the 17th century, in reference to its grapes that split easily in your fingers. The canton of Vaud gradually stopped using this variety's name in favour of appellations based on villages or vintages, so that since 1966 the name Fendant has been protected for the exclusive use of the Valais region, where the variety was introduced in 1848.
A wonderful expression of the terroirs where it is grown, Chasselas or Fendant is the most common white grape variety in Switzerland, mainly grown in the cantons of Vaud, Valais, Geneva and Neuchâtel. Early and delicate both on the vine and in the cellar, Chasselas gives subtle and elegant wines, to be savoured as an apéritif or with a meal.