Queen Bertha wine cellar

The former cellars of the Baillival castle and its outbuildings have been the official wine cellars of Payerne municipal council for over two centuries. As far back as the Middle Ages, Payerne’s monastic community had its own vineyards on the shores of Lake Geneva. Then, in the 16th century the town of Payerne set about acquiring more land in Lavaux, which is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, Payerne owns 13 hectares of vineyards on the Swiss Riviera. The Swiss grape variety, Chasselas, predominates in this area. Nonetheless, Payerne has also shown a flair for developing new, and much-acclaimed, speciality wines, while still respecting the age-old winemaking tradition of the region, where know-how is still handed down from one generation to the next.