Chasselas will be in the limelight this weekend, with awards from the Mondial du Chasselas announced Friday night 4 July at the Chateau d’Aigle, followed by a popular festival Saturday at the castle.

The weather forecast is for two near-perfect days, with sunshine and comfortable temperatures, says MeteoSwiss: 16-25C and no rain in sight Saturday.

Festive Montreux-Aigle weekend

This is the festival’s third year, and it has so far proved to be a popular attraction, helped each year by fine weather. The castle is only a few minutes by train and car from Montreux, where the Jazz Festival, a major annual attraction, starts Friday, making a combined wine and music day easy to organize (do take the train!).

The festival offers visitors a great collection of some 200 Chasselas wines to taste, and the CHF20 entry fee gives you a tasting glass as well as a ticket to the Vaud wine and vine museum in the castle. The museum, with its hands-on exhibits, is interesting even for children and houses not only information about winemaking, but a labels collection and costumes from the Vevey Fête des Vignerons held every 22-25 years (next one: 2019).

Wine competition results to be announced Friday

The Mondial du Chasselas wine competition was held 13 June and included 47 foreign wines (40 German, 4 French, 1 USA and 2 canadiens) among the 642 wines entered. Chasselas is a grape that was born in the Lake Geneva region and it is grown as a wine grape in a limited number of others places – it gives wines that express or give the imprint of the terroirs where they are grown. The Lake Geneva region in particular and Switzerland more generally, suit this grape admirably.

More on the prizes and the competition  once the awards are announced!