Here’s the official information from Geneva on the canton’s Wineries Open Day Saturday 28 May. Note that I’ll be posting a longer article on the Cave de Genève in a few minutes, the largest winery in the canton.

You’ll find details about Geneva’s wineries in several places: the official cantonal agriculture office wine page and app for all products including wine, the free Vinea Swiss Wines app (search by canton) and, in print, a recent issue of Vinum magazine, whose section on Geneva was translated into English. Note that the magazine Terrific Terroir, which used to provide details for the open day, has been discontinued.

The press release:

“An exceptional vintage

This event, now a well-established tradition, was started in Geneva in 1987 by the canton’s independent wine producers, who pioneered the idea in Switzerland. Their goal was to open their cellar doors to the population at large and invite them to come inside and meet the people who make the wine

This year on 28 May, virtually every winery in the canton – some 90 of them – will welcome the local population and people from further afield, to present the new 2015 vintage, which is being acclaimed as a very promising year. Visitors will also be able to taste 2014 wines matured in oak.

Geneva is the third-largest wine-producing canton in Switzerland; it has a very particular character because it has three quite distinct regions. Le Mandement is traditionally the most visited area but wine-lovers coming to the Open Day are increasingly visiting the other regions, Entre Arve et Rhône (Lully, Bernex, Sorel and other villages) and Arve et Lac (Jussy, Anières, Gy, and others).

The day offers a chance to take a wonderful walk through the Geneva countryside, hiking from village to village, (re-)discovering these three regions, each of which has its own personality.

Glasses perfectly adapted to tasting

This year the wineries are offering a new glass, the experts glass made by Spiegelau, which will be sold for CHF 10. The glass helps people to appreciate fully the quality of the wines they are tasting; the glasses will be sold with wines presented throughout the canton.

By bus and train to the Open Day

To make it easier for visitors to get around the Geneva countryside, the TPG and the CFF are collaborating with the event organizers: free shuttle buses (www.tpg.ch) and additional CFF trains on the Geneva-La Plaine line (up to 4 trains an hour at the end of the day) will be running. Bicycles are not recommended. For more information, www.cff.ch/geneve.”