Lausanne, Switzerland

Visiting Henri Cruchon winery was one of my favorite memories from the entire trip. I left my luggage at the train station and hiked through quiet streets lined with vineyards until I arrived at the top of a small hill. I found that the road took a curve that was surrounded by several buildings. One of these was the tasting room that I had read about. Henri Cruchon in a biodynamic winery with all of their wines made on their estates, a risky endeavor as the winemaker must rely on the fruit of each small portion of land, rather than mixing grapes from various areas to compensate for any lack of fruit or poor fruit quality in a given year. However, the woman hosting me explained the extreme rigor that they use for all of their practices, making the product an excellent quality, albeit taking many chances along the way as nature can be so unpredictable. 

When I arrived at the door pictured above, there was a phone with instructions to lift the receiver and call if no one was present. I did this and a woman's voice on the other end assured me she would be there momentarily. The tasting is open for people walking in all day, but I happened to be the only one at the time, so my tasting was private. 

I was impressed repeatedly, not only by the rigorous practices for optimal quality of the fruit and land, but also by the taste delivered from each bottle. Initially, I was offered several different varietals to taste, but as we talked, the woman providing my tasting experience seemed to become as excited as I was seeing my interest and investment in the experience. Ultimately, I tasted every single wine that they had available, with the exception of those which they had sold out of, but were holding the bottles awaiting pick up. It was fantastic to taste single varietals from various single vineyards, comparing the nuanced differences that could only be attributed to the terroir since they were generally in the same area with the same farming practices. As I departed, I learned that they do import a select few wines to New York and Los Angeles. How exciting to find that a store near me carries their product. The hostess was also kind enough to ensure that I jumped on a bus back to the train station instead of hiking back down the quiet roads. 

My next train stop was in Lausanne. I again dropped my luggage at the station, which was impressively large. I initially did not realize the magnitude of the station when I checked my bag into a locker. However, upon my return, I realized that there were different floors to the station that all looked identical, as well as different sides to the station. Honestly, I was lost wondering through the station trying to find my locker later in the day. It took me some time but eventually I ended up on the correct floor on the correct side of the station and found my locker in order to rescue my luggage! 

However, before I overcame that challenge, I wandered around the little streets, many cobbled and lined with little boutique sized shops, but these were nestled in amongst larger stores and bigger roads. I had made reservations at a particularly notable restaurant, Ann Sophie, of which there is a sister restaurant in Paris. This was my splurge dining for the trip. The food was delicate and beautifully plated. 

sunfire crips nasturtium powder with olive oil crackers, turbo fish and lovage mayo

tartlet of Etivaz cheese with saffron dill jelly

St Germain grapefruit with bell pepper 

gin and mezcal soup with melon, thai basil, and verbena ice cream

Pockets of pasta filled with creamy mushroom and an umami mushroom broth

(the signature dish of the restaurant) 

Grilled Turbo with tomato, green cardamom, and onion

Cheese course: goat with ash, goat with chasselas wine of Valais, cow from the Spanish alps, blue cheese with goat milk, and a cow's milk

The walnuts and hazelnuts were absolutely the best representation of each that I could imagine. It amazes me how a simple food can be so delightful when perfectly prepared and presented. 

dark and milk chocolate with chocolate mousse of rose hips and blackberry

The mouse had texture added by the seeds of the blackberry for a slight crunch. The single blackberry on the plate was absolutely the sweetest one that I can recall ever tasting. Further, there was a touch of black garlic on the top layer of mousse, which I did not feel added to the dessert, but I assumed was intended to offer an earthy component. 

White chocolate meringue with caramelized nuts inside as well as a layer of creme

Bonbons of crunchy puffed rice and strawberry 

as well as chocolate filled with a ginger liquid. These were exquisite. I wish that I could describe how fantastic they were to taste. They were packed with such flavor that the tiny bite was more than enough to have the full experience of their complex taste, but without being overpowering. 

After eating the decadent meal, I wandered around Lausanne. It was in Lausanne that I initiated the cheese gathering that I accumulated for the duration of the trip. I went to several cheese shops along the hilly streets.

I also found cheese trucks parked at various markets in the city. I was overall disappointed by the restaurants that I found in Lausanne, but it was market day when I was there, so that kept me busy. The large commercialized storefronts were hidden behind market venders displaying all sorts of fresh foods and hand made goods. 

Some of my favorite cheese from the entire trip I found in a mobile cheese truck that had cheese made exclusively from the Ticino (Italian-Swiss) region. I purchased more than I intended, but without regret. The flavors and textures of the cheese thrilled me. It was an unexpected find, but exactly what I had hoped and imagined I would discover while in Switzerland. A single tiny piece of cheese melting on my tongue revealed umami, sweet, salt, and vegetal flavors! I did not recognize the names of any of the cheeses, making it more exciting to try!  

Finally, I went to another wine tasting just northeast of the city at a place called Lavaux Vinorama in Rivaz. I had chosen this stop because I thought that they had a huge selection of local wines to taste, which they did. However, this was done by purchasing the bottle while they also offered a small selection of wines by the glass. I did try several, albeit disappointed that their entire inventory was largely unavailable to me as a single visitor. Nonetheless, it was nice to enjoy comparing more differences between similar grapes from the same region. After all of this exploring, I was exhausted and preparing to head out to the next city!