Chasselas, the white wine of French-speaking Switzerland

What does Chasselas taste like?

Chasselas makes a dry, light white with discreet aromas. Swiss Wine Promotion, the body that promotes Swiss wine, describes notes of apple, pear and citrus, floral hints of lime blossom or acacia, and often a mineral touch reminiscent of stone.

Taste it next to a Chardonnay to see the difference. Swiss Wine Valais, the Valais wine trade body, counts Chasselas among the fairly neutral grapes, while Chardonnay mostly shows how it was made, in steel tanks or oak barrels. That restraint lets the soil come through: two Chasselas from different villages can taste quite unlike each other.

Some Chasselas keep a slight spritz, a hint of carbon dioxide that barely tingles on the tongue. Swiss Wine Valais often mentions it for Fendant, the Valais Chasselas.

Where does Chasselas grow, and under what name?

According to the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), Chasselas is the most planted white grape in the country. Almost two hectares out of three are in the canton of Vaud and just over one in five in the Valais; Geneva and Neuchâtel come far behind. The charts on this page give the exact areas.

The name changes with the region, the grape does not. In the Valais it is called Fendant. In Geneva, the name Perlan is also used for Chasselas. In Vaud the label puts the place first: an Yvorne, a Féchy, an Épesses or a Dézaley is a Chasselas, even when the grape is not written on the bottle.

In Neuchâtel it becomes a local speciality, the Non-Filtré: a Chasselas bottled without filtration, so slightly cloudy. In Germany the same grape is called Gutedel.

Where does Chasselas come from?

Most likely from the shores of Lake Geneva. Genetic studies published in 2009 place its probable origin in the Lake Geneva area, most likely Vaud, where the greatest variety of forms of this grape was recorded in the 19th century. Swiss Wine Promotion also considers it to be from there.

Swiss Wine Promotion dates the first references to the 17th century: a work by the botanist Bauhin mentions it in 1612, already under the names Fendant and «Lausannois». Today the Lavaux terraces, where Chasselas is the signature grape, have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007.

What to eat with Chasselas?

Serve it with fondue, raclette or a cheese croûte. Its gentle acidity balances the creaminess of melted cheese, so each mouthful stays fresh.

It also suits lake fish such as trout or féra (a whitefish from Swiss lakes), whose delicate taste it does not cover, and shellfish. As an apéritif, its lightness makes it easy to drink. Our French and German articles on wines for fondue and raclette compare it with other Swiss whites.

How to serve it, and how long to keep it?

Serve it at 8 to 10 °C, as Swiss Wine Promotion recommends. Too cold and its subtle aromas vanish; too warm and it feels flat. Put a warm bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes, take a cold one out 30 minutes before serving: that is the 30/30 rule given by Swiss Wine Valais.

Most Chasselas are drunk within two or three years, for their freshness. Some vintages last ten years or more and then develop notes of beeswax, sweet spices and dried fruit, according to Swiss Wine Promotion.