What is Chasselas?
Chasselas is a white wine style best understood through its balance of fruit, freshness, body, tannin, sweetness and texture. Swiss white with delicate apple, mineral and floral notes. Classic with fondue, raclette, rösti, Alpine cheese and lake fish. Typical flavours include apple, almond, flowers, minerals.
Vaud, Valais, Geneva
Chasselas
Alpine White · 11.5-12.5%
Style profile
Grapes, regions and character
Chasselas is commonly associated with Chasselas. The grape choice shapes the wine’s aroma, structure, acidity, body and food-pairing personality. Classic regions include Vaud, Valais, Geneva.
Vaud, Valais, Geneva
Switzerland
What does Chasselas pair well with?
Pair Chasselas by matching the wine’s weight, acidity, sweetness and tannin to the dish. It works especially well with fondue, raclette, Alpine cheese, potatoes, lake fish. It is usually less successful with heavy beef or very sweet desserts.
Best food matches
Pairings to avoid
What makes a good or bad Chasselas?
A good Chasselas should taste balanced, expressive and clean. Look for clear fruit, freshness, structure and a finish that suits the style. The acidity is usually medium, so the wine should feel lively without becoming harsh. The body is usually light-medium, so it should match the weight expected from this style.
A poor Chasselas can taste flat, tired, harsh, thin, overly sweet, too alcoholic or unbalanced. Avoid bottles where oak, bitterness, heat or sweetness dominate the fruit, freshness and structure.
When buying Chasselas, look for bottles where the region, grape and producer style match the food you want to cook. Useful countries to look at include Switzerland.
Serve Chasselas at around 8-10°C. Serving temperature matters because too warm can make wine feel heavy, while too cold can mute flavour.
