Wine

The area of Dézaley is without doubt one of the leading communes in the wine-growing region of Lavaux. Glaciers formed the steep slope of the Dézaley, leaving behind visible moraines between the conglomerate rocks. This has created a chalky clay soil, which lends the wine its characteristic richness. The climate gives the wine its distinguished quality and its character, which is reminiscent of almonds, honey and caramel, overlaid with a flowery, fruity aroma. The winegrowers in this area produce a rich variety of wines in a way that reflects their philosophy, method, selection and convictions. A diverse range of fine wines flourish in Dézaley, each of which has its own unique characteristics.

At the upper end of Lake Geneva, between Lausanne and Vevey, lies the wine-growing region of Lavaux, one of Switzerland’s UNESCO World Heritage sites. Its eight terroirs are made up of Lutry, Villette, Epesses, Dézaley, Calamin, St-Saphorin, Chardonne and Vevey. Villette, not far from the city of Lausanne, produces pleasant and fine wines; Epesses, with its strong and aromatic Dorins, borders on Dézaley. Dézaley, the steep conglomerate slope in the commune of Puidoux, is the undisputed king of all Vaud vineyards. Its wines are among the best in Switzerland and are often described as royal, grand and masterful. Dézaley starts at the top by the railway line, which runs from Bern through the famous tunnel of Chexbres and into the heart of the Vaud wine country. Dézaley then meets the terroirs of Calamin and St-Saphorin by the lake shore at the bottom. Due to the geographical position of its terroir, the "St-Saph" can also originate from Chexbres or Rivaz. In addition to the private wine growers and wine merchants, many venerable public bodies have shared ownership of Lavaux's vineyards since time immemorial. The city of Lausanne owns several of the best domains in Dézaley, and Freiburg owns "Les Faverges" in Saint-Saphorin. The parish of the Freiburg village of Attalens was once the owner of a vineyard in the terroir of Chardonne, known as "Cure d'Attalens". The vine region of Lavaux has long been an area of the white Chasselas, which in Vaud is known as Dorin. However, the area is also home to a growing number of red vineyards. The Gamay varieties, either on their own or combined with Pinot Noir into Salvagnin, can even be found in the Dézaley-Hänge heartland.

The Vaud region's sun and warm-air trap of the Chablais stretches from Villeneuve up to the narrow rocky canyon of Lavey. On his song "Lied vom Schweizer Wein" (Swiss wine song), the Basel poet Emanuel Stickelberger describes Yvorne as "Bacchusnestlein Helvetiens" (Little Bacchus’ nest of Helvetia). On its alluvial and scree-based ground, a particularly strong and balanced white wine manages to blossom. Nimble lizards lurk on hot vineyard walls. Heat penetrates the grapes and radiates from the wine that they give birth to. The name "Chablais" stems from the Latin "caput lacûs" (head of the sea), signifying that the surface of Lake Geneva also makes its contribution towards the roundness of the Chablais wines. It does so with its calmness and its breadth, which it passes on to this aromatic wine. Aigle and Bex with Ollon and Lavey lie inside the Alpine region, and the ground at the edge of the Alps lends these wines their characteristic light flinty flavour, which is wonderfully apparent in the Yvorne wine. The locals call these white wines "coqs" – and they are just as fervid as cocks. For the past couple of years, however, Aigle and Bex have also surprised us with "Grands rouges" – red wines made from Pinot Noir with an exquisitely rounded bouquet – which do not have the slightly bitter flavour that is often noticeable with the Dorins. They also lack the nervosity of the chalky Chasselas of Bex; the temperament is curbed, refined and majestic.