One of the great things about being here for an extended stay is that we’re not rushed to ping-pong between cities and experiences. That said, our first week in Switzerland has already been a whirlwind.
On Saturday, we hopped on a train to the UNESCO World Heritage village of Epesses (pronounced Eh-pess). While excavations have uncovered ancient Roman roads and coins dating back to the time of Caesar—undeniably fascinating—our mission that day was driven by something a little more… spirited: a wine festival, thanks to a tip from Sabine and Yvan.
Epesses is nestled in the Lavaux-Oron district, an area renowned for its terraced vineyards and centuries-old winemaking tradition. Some of these vineyards date back to the 17th century, and the views alone are worth the trip.
We weren’t exactly sure what to expect—some of the festival details were a bit lost in translation—but we knew we’d meet up with Sabine, Yvan, and the rest of the Chernex crew later that evening to catch a band. Until then, we were on our own to explore.
After buying our tickets, it quickly became clear we were in trouble: 23 wineries, most offering tastings of 8–9 different wines. Observing how the locals approached each tasting, we realized that to avoid any cultural faux pas—or worse, offending a winemaker—we might be obligated to sample them all.
(Just kidding… mostly.)
We had an absolute blast wandering from cave to cave (wine cellars), sipping our way through a wide range of local varieties—mostly Chasselas, the signature grape of the region. Each stop was a chance to chat, taste, and take in the atmosphere of this incredible little village.
By evening, we’d reconnected with the gang and capped off the day with a lively outdoor concert on one of the patios. Let’s just say it got a little rowdy— especially with the French contingent who joined the dance-floor. Only one of the three of us made it to the end of the night.
I’ll leave it to the pictures to reveal who made the final curtain call!
