Bienvenue à la Suisse! Welcome to Switzerland!

I have a confession to make. Living on the Franco-Swiss border, I used to turn my nose (short one at that) at the Swiss wines here at the source of the Rhone river. I thought surely nearby Bourgogne, Bordeux, Provence, Cote du Rhone, and Beaujolais have more to offer than this small patch of vines. I was soooo wrong! Here, right outside my window are really delicious wines, and just meters away!

Salut! Greetings from Meyrin, Switzerland. I am much more of an “amateur” than a “connoisseur” of wine in every sense! Yet, I will try to make my small contribution to this blog!

We (my husband , two daughters and I) are here to see my husband through a year of smashing protons in the French-speaking area of Switzerland known as the canton of Geneva. We are from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. So, needless to say, “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore!” (Almost literally!) He is doing high energy physics at CERN and I, an English teacher by training, am doing a year of learning French and navigating our daughters through the public school system in Meyrin, Switzerland (just minutes from central Geneva, Switzerland). It has all been very exciting, fun, frustrating and enlightening! So here we go…

CERN (on the left) and Meyrin Apartments (on the right) Wheat and Grapevines (center)

This weekend is the 25 year old “Caves Ouvertes” where all of the wine vineyards are open in the canton of Geneva. I won’t be able to go to all 80 of them, but I will do my best to sample a few. This is, after all, the source of the great river Rhône, tucked between the limestone Jura and Saléve mountains (or hills–compared to the Alps!). Many mornings you can find me taking a walk through the vineyards with a very good friend of mine who has lived here for many years. It’s truly beautiful and you can feel the love for the craft. There are even signs posted with some explanations of the grapes. Signs are proudly displayed on the vinter windows with opening and closing times displayed. In France, you’d never see opening and closing times! (subtext: Always open!) I am looking forward to tasting more of the Gamaret grape and really anything goes. If you have any recommendations, let me know and I’ll seek it out! But, you’ll have to hurry, it’s tomorrow!

Roundabout on the way to Satigny from Meyrin

The "mandement" region on this side of the Rhône; All wine villages!

Vineyards of Satigny, Switzerland in May