Neuchâtel: between German-speaking Switzerland and Burgundy

The winegrowers of Neuchâtel do not make much noise but are, despite everything, omnipresent. They have long produced quality wines and are recognized for their specialties made from classic grape varieties.

The Neuchâtel vineyard extends from Vaumarcus to Landeron via Auvernier and Neuchâtel. The climate is mild, some would even say Mediterranean. The main climatic calamity is the north wind which can blow for days on end and thus delay the maturity of the grapes. At the foot of the Jura plateau are a diversity of limestone sandstone soils and glacial alluvium.

These soil varieties give many nuances to the wines, which makes the Neuchâtel region so interesting.

In Hauterive for example, the vines grow directly on the bedrock made up of the Pierre Jaune de Neuchâtel limestones (dating from the Cretaceous) which were used at the time for the construction of buildings in Neuchâtel.

A palette of traditional grape varieties

Neuchâtel winegrowers remain faithful to the traditional Pinot Noir and Chasselas . Whether sparkling wines, “Unfiltered”, “Neuchâtel white or red”, or “ Œil de Perdrix ” , they are made almost exclusively from these two grape varieties. Pinot Noir covers more than half of the vineyard. Locally we also find Gamaret , Garanoir, or Divico (a new grape variety resistant to fungal diseases). In white, the people of Neuchâtel show a little more daring, so in addition to Chasselas, they grow Chardonnay , Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris or Riesling-Silvaner.