Geneva

This canton, named after the city of the same name (French: Genève) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland has a total vineyard area of 1.355 hectares. The soils are mostly rich in clay, gravel or limestone. Only a small part of the vineyards is located directly on Lake Geneva, most of them are located between the right bank of the Rhône and the border with France /the so-called Mandement). More than half this area is planted with the white variety Chasselas, which is known here as Perlan. One third of the area is planted with the red variety Gamay. Other varieties include Aligoté, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Gamaret, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, the share of which is continually increasing. The most important wine-producing communes are Arve, Celigny, Dardagny, Peney and (at almost 500 ha the largest in Switzerland) Satigny. An AOC statute came into force in 1988. The best-known producers include Dupraz and Ramu.