The World Chasselas Conservatory

At the Chasselas Conservatory in Rivaz, there isn’t a grape in sight.

The harvest is over or almost! The few remaining bunches will continue to ripen on the vine and gradually shrivel. Picked late, they produce wines with higher sugar and alcohol content.

I love this little corner of paradise—not only for its stunning views, but also for its unusual vineyard plot. Across 4,500 m², you can discover the 19 main Chasselas biotypes and admire their differences in berry size, foliage and colour.

The project was launched in 2008 by Louis-Philippe Bovard of Cully to raise public awareness of the biological diversity of this “king” grape variety and its important place in the history of the Lake Geneva region.

A sign in front of each vine identifies its particular characteristic, such as the colour of Red Chasselas or Violet Chasselas. Muscaté Chasselas is named for its aromatic profile. Giclet Chasselas refers to a berry that bursts under pressure rather than splitting, as Fendant berries do. Some features can be seen with the naked eye, such as those of tetraploid Chasselas, which appeared by chance and has two sets of chromosomes.

Chasselas has been grown in the Canton of Vaud for 1,000 years. Its great clonal diversity has developed over the centuries through natural, intentional or accidental genetic mutations. An information board presents the main characteristics of each clone in a clear, simple way. (Descriptions written in three languages by Jean-Laurent Spring, Agroscope.)

Since 2017, another collection of the main biotypes has been planted at Domaine la Colombe, on the Mont-sur-Rolle plot belonging to Laura and Raymond Paccot. The aim is to measure the effects of climate on the grape variety and its terroir.

The “Vini’filles” wine tour on La Côte, offered by Passionnément’vin through its online gift-box shop, invites you to discover this conservatory as part of your experience.

Find out more +: https://passionnement-vin.secretbox.ch/vini-filles-sur-la-cote.html

Recognised as a table grape, Chasselas is grown on around 40,000 hectares. In France, it is found in the Loire Valley, Alsace and the southwest. It is also grown in Germany, Romania and the former Yugoslavia, as well as in North Africa, Chile and New Zealand.

It is in Switzerland that Chasselas has found its ideal terroir and we intend to keep it here! Agroscope in Pully is home to the world’s largest clonal collection, with more than 380 Chasselas clones. Its preservation is now assured.

Angel.