Last weekend was Geneva‘s Caves Ouverts. This translates to “Open Cellars.” All of the area’s wineries were open for visits and to taste the latest wines. Wines produced for consumption within a few years are usually bottled in March or April. As a result, they are first released for sale in May. Since it started in 1987, it has grown into a huge event.
Buy your tasting glass and we will gladly serve you. The glass is 5 CHF. Taste moderately. Love passionately.
We bought special wine glasses for five Swiss Francs ($6) each. With these glasses, we could taste any wine at all the wineries. The proprietors were great an were happy to talk about their wines. I was glad that we’d done the wine tour of Burgundy and learned how to taste wine so that I knew how to tell them what I liked.
As a result of the tasting, we are now a bit more knowledgeable about Geneva’s wines and wineries. We didn’t buy any since we didn’t have a backpack with us (rookie mistake), but will be heading back to buy our favorites.
I like that you can see my reflection in the bottle.
Most of the wineries provide tasty food at reasonable prices. We opted for the sausage. They had a choice of white or red and asked which I would like. I asked for the red sausage please.
Others in our group had the Tomme, a wonderful goat cheese. They served it grilled on bread. We also saw: Tartiflette, hearty meat dishes, wonderful pastries and pies. Many wineries also provide entertainment. Accordion music anyone?
If you are thinking about visiting Geneva, Caves Ouvertes is the weekend to do it. The countryside is beautiful. So are the vineyards. I love that you can always see the mountains in the distance around here. Even the towns are picturesque. These old villages consist of stone farmhouses and massive wood barns in which people gather around barrels or picnic tables.
As the day progressed the crowds grew, spilling out into the courtyards and the streets. It was a wonderful atmosphere. Everyone was very friendly. Even the usually reserved Swiss were wonderfully chatty. We went with a group; it was great to share the day with people from all over the world.
As the crowds increased, the weather deteriorated. Being the idiots that we are, we dressed for the morning’s weather (another rookie mistake). In Switzerland, the weather is changeable and the temperature dropped drastically over the course of the day. He wore shorts and flip-flops (not very Swiss). I wore a skirt and wells (also not very Swiss). At least he remembered to bring a jacket.
Yep, the wind was blowing so hard that it turned the umbrella below inside out. We had umbrellas too. Unfortunately, they didn’t do a lot of good when the wind was blowing sideways and we called it a day.
I have grumbled discontentedly about Geneva’s public transport (TPG) since they drastically changed their routes in December. After they provided free shuttle buses that loop around the wine villages, I feel much more kindly disposed towards them. Thanks TPG!
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