The Vineyards of Neuchâtel

The Vineyards of Neuchâtel

Is located on the northwest shore of Lake Neuchatel , it is separated from France by the Jura, the climate is quite mild , sunny and dry .
The origin of the vineyard is not absolutely certain.
If we actually found grape seeds during archaeological excavations in the region of Neuchâtel , stating that the vines are pushed to the Neolithic period , there is no evidence that it was truly cultures and knew to ferment these fruits . It was also probably Vitis silvestri , a wild vine that is the ancestral parent Vitis vinifera ssp. Sativa which has produced these varieties we grow today in Europe as evidenced by several documents , such activities are prior to the monastic institutions. But it would be wrong to underestimate the importance of :
The church in the development of viticulture with the fall of the Roman Empire and the advent of Christianity , the wine took on a new meaning, and the monks labored over to clear land to establish new vineyards. Thus, at the time of its founding in 998, the priory Bevaix received permission to plant a vineyard. The vineyards of the Abbey Bevaix, became property of the state , is regarded today as the original vineyard Neuchâtel


Winters are mild with the presence of the lake , but automnes can be foggy , affecting the harvest . Lands located at the foot of the Jura Mountains consist mainly of chalky rocks mixed with other outcrops in the humus and loess . These soils contain a lot of minerals that can usually detect the taste of wine.
It is quite obvious that these chalky soils produce mostly white wines, Chasselas represents about 75% of the wines, but we also find Pinot Gris , Riesling , Sylvaner , Muller- Thurgau , Chardonnay and getting more and more successful , there is a limited production of Sylvaner , Riesling and Gewürztraminer , Pinot Noir is a constituent of red wine and L'Oeil de Perdrix Rosé
The wines of the appelation Neuchâtel are Chasselas , lighter than the Valais and Vaud , elegant and sparkling.
Neuchatel Pinot Black is quite hard and tannic , but in its more rounded and pleasant youth with age
Nearly half of the production of Pinot Noir is for the Eye - of – Perdrix , probably the most typical specialty of the region , while the other half is used for the development of red elegant , often bodied .
The same grape still allows the production of a black white deemed that when responding to the criteria defined by a specialized law, may be sold under the name of White Partridge .
Men have populated the region since ancient times already , but highlight , between -3800 and -3500 the Neuchâtel land is the origin of civilization Cortaillod which men began to build villages , cultivating grain and shape pottery . Outstanding archaeological discoveries made during the correction of the Jura waters (1868-1878) on the site of La Tene gave the second Iron Age called La Tene ( -500 to 50) . Witness that the place should be a major toll on the road between the Rhone and the Rhine.
Until the millennium , there is little material on the particular region. We know that 998 monks of the Abbey of Cluny founded Bevaix . These years also saw the creation of the city of Neuchâtel. In 1011, first written name of Neuchâtel in a deed of gift of Rudolph III of Burgundy to his wife Irmengarde . Appearance The cantonal territory is found vassal of the Burgundians , and also with the German-speaking cantons burghers or under the control of the Holy Roman Empire .