Mont-Sur-Rolle: Vineyards and Village History
Accommodation in Mont-Sur-Rolle
Mont-Sur-Rolle can be explored through its winemaking, wine experiences and historic features. The Parcours des Cépages winds through vineyards and the historic village; events and the Maison des Vins de La Côte offer further ways to discover wine culture. At the same time, surviving traces tell the story of the municipality’s former fortifications.
Along the Parcours des CĂ©pages
The Parcours des CĂ©pages follows vineyard trails in Mont-Sur-Rolle for six kilometres. Along the way, you can observe selected vines. The route also passes through the historic village and offers the chance to visit buildings from different periods. Winemaking and local history thus meet along the same path.
The route is accessible to everyone, and covering the six kilometres takes approximately an hour and a half. This estimated time makes it easy to plan as a specific activity. In clear weather, it offers views of Geneva’s Jet d’Eau and Mont Blanc. Visibility of both landmarks is expressly dependent on clear weather conditions.
Winemaking and landscape
Mont-Sur-Rolle’s winemaking tradition dates back to the 12th century. Cistercian monks settled here at that time, cleared the hillside and planted vines. Today, the vineyard area covers 150 hectares. The Grands Crus are associated with moraine soils; the clay in these soils gives them a distinctive character.
The area extends from the Essertines plateau at 710 metres down to 359 metres near Lake Geneva. The vineyard slopes lie between 400 and 600 metres above sea level and are overlooked by steep, wooded slopes. The vineyards are reflected in Lake Geneva and benefit from its thermal properties. Vineyards, changes in elevation and the lake are therefore among the area’s defining landscape features.
The municipality is in the Nyon District of the canton of Vaud. It covers 386 hectares and lies at an altitude of 460 metres. These location details complement the area’s elevation profile and place Mont-Sur-Rolle within the canton.
Wine experiences for visitors
The Balade Gourmande takes place every year in September. Wine tastings are part of the programme at nine stops: winemakers comment on the wines and pour them, alongside culinary specialities. If you are planning to include the event in a specific stay, it is best to check the dates for the relevant year.
The Maison des Vins de La Côte brings together wines from twelve AOC production sites in one place for visitors. Its public offerings include wine tastings, educational workshops, seminars and themed evenings. Alongside the annual Balade Gourmande, there are therefore several other formats focused on wine. The Maison’s building is named “ENTRE MURS”. Its architecture is inspired by the dry-stone walls of the region’s terraced vineyards.
Historic traces in the village
Together with the centre of the former Mont-Sur-Rolle, the hamlets form a historic village. It is listed in the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites. The buildings from different periods along the Parcours give this heritage setting a tangible connection to the route.
The history of the fortifications is also rooted in specific places. Some remains of the former Château de Mont on the Molard have survived. The castle was named Bourg Sainte-Marie after the chapel located there. Below the hamlet of Mont-dessus stood the Vieux Château, a fortified castle built in 996 and destroyed in 1475.
The vineyard trails, publicly offered wine activities and historic village traces each provide a different starting point when choosing where to stay. The Parcours combines a known route length with insights into winemaking and local history; the Balade Gourmande and the Maison des Vins represent different kinds of wine experience. This gives you concrete interests to consider when deciding whether Mont-Sur-Rolle is the right destination for you.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Genolier, Borex, Begnins, Chavannes-De-Bogis, Coppet, Commugny, Bursinel, Nyon
For the main travel overview: Nyon.
