German-speaking regions of Switzerland

Canton and wine-growing region named after the city of the same name, located in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The vineyard area totals around 250 hectares. The region forms a band stretching along the western and northern shores of Lake Biel (only a small portion of the lake is located in the canton of Neuchâtel), at the foot of the Jura mountains. The soils are predominantly rich in limestone, more than half the vineyards are planted with the white variety Chasselas, which is used to produce a lively white wine with a bit of spritz that is typical of the region. The red variety Pinot Noir accounts for more than a third of the vineyard area, the remainder is planted with Müller-Thurgau (known here as Riesling x Silvaner), Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. The climate is temperate, thanks to the proximity of the lake. The most important wine-growing communes are La Neuveville, Ligerz, Schafis, Schernelz and Twann. An AOC statute has been in place since 1996.