Wine has been made in the canton Waadt for almost two thousand years. The wine tradition was begun by the Romans, and continued and expanded by the monks of the Dark Ages. The lakes and rivers, as well as the support-walls on the steep slopes of the Lavaux, make for an even climate, by storing the sun's warmth, and then slowly giving it off again at night. The cold northern winds are kept away by the Jura Mountains, but the warm wind plays an important role here. Clay, and limestone soils as well as moraines, granite, and molasses are the main soils.
The leading vine is the Chasselas. Red vines like the Pinot Noir and Gamay take up 25% of the vineyards, The canton's label "Salvagnin" means best quality. The vines Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Garanoir and Gamaret are increasing. Others are Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, Gamay x Reichensteiner and Mer.
The controlled origin-label "Appellation d'origine" has been here since 1995, regulates the regions and also defines for the grapes and appellations the sugar content to have.
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