Pencil this date in your diaries for the open wine cellars day in Canton Geneva: 12th May.

My recommendation this year: Denis Pinget in Jussy (5 route du Chateau l'Eveque) because he has the best view on the Voirons for wine tasting and his Rose wine is to die for (his Blanc de Noir and red Gamay are not bad either). It's great and safe for kids to roam free in the vineyards and simple but very nice food is usually available (very cheap for Geneva!). Small producer who could do with a bit of help. He also makes and sells his own oils (hazelnut ,walnut, sunflower, rapeseed, pumpkin seed ...).

Meveaux, on the same road (a bit further down) is very popular, especially with his organic wine (Pinot Noir is a treat). Food is also served there.

Chateau du Crest is the most famous and they are used to pulling crowds, with lots of entertainments, animals and a wide choice of wines. Excellent but very busy. A lot of people go there and miss out on the others.

Chateau de Cara is lovely too, very spread out, and the white wine is of top quality. They keep horses and the whole place has a "National Trust" feel to it.

You can then jump onto the minibus that will take you to Gy, the next village, where they do excellent wine too.

And Caves Ouvertes Vaudoise is 26 & 27 May...

http://www.cavesouvertes.ch/

My ultimate is Domaine Les Hutins. The wines are superb, especially traminer, but it's not the wine really, I just like the courageous and stunning female winemaker who inherited the wine biz from her dad. It's lovely and recognized, she wins country prizes every single year.



If you can, go.

This is a reminder as we are getting quite near to another fabulous event...who said nothing happened in "la campagne Genevoise"??

From Caves Ouvertes: So taste as much wine as you like, you will get a safe (and free!) ride home.

REMINDER: it is this coming Saturday! A mini bus service takes you round all the wine cellars of your choice. See link below for detail:
http://www.tpg.ch/fr/actualites/a-la...ve-ouverte.php

Once again, a slightly biased recommendation, but do come and experience beautiful Jussy and its 5 open wine cellars!

Thanks for the tip. I was at the vineyards on Rive Droite last year, so I'll try Jussy and surrounding areas this year.

Will definitely be making the trip over from Zurich on Saturday. We went to the fete de St Martin in Peissy in November and there were some excellent wines, so we will be going back with more suitable luggage for bulk purchases (they only deliver in Canton Geneve or by pallet freight - ouch!).

My top tips are a barrel aged chardonnay from the Domaine des trois etoiles and a sweet red dessert wine called Le Mutin made from the gameret grape from Louis Serex Les Vallieres.

It was CHF 8 to buy a "bottomless" tasting glass in November. Does it work in a similar way during the caves ouvertes?

Yes, last year it was in that region, price wise.

Forgot to add that "chez Pinget" will have table tennis and black board with chalk for the little ones, so that they can play safely while mum and dad do their wine tasting! I might be on some intermitent "child-minding duty"!

Lots of kids entertainment at Chateau du Crest, too. Don't know what Meveaux have in store this year.

Don't be put off by the weather forecast: rain in the morning, yes, but sunshine in the afternoon. Don't bypass Jussy!

JUST FOUND OUT: if you come to Pinget's in Jussy (Route du Chateau l'Eveque, see my first post), he has invited a lady from the next village who sells her home made rhubard wine and rhubarb champagne. I tried that last year, it's amazing! The rhubarb wine beats a Sauternes any time with foie gras.

So come to route du Chateau l'Eveque, it is on the other side of the village (as you leave the village towards Gy). Far quieter and nicer than some of the bigger venues.

FYI Mark your calendars for May 25 this year!

www.lesvinsdegeneve.ch

Tomorrow it is.

Sunny and cloudy.