AIGLE
Capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland
Population: 10,500 (Aiglons and Aiglonnes)
Specialities: Papet Vaudois (Swiss stew), Vaudois sausage, white wines from Chablais
Famous people: Jacques Dubochet (former Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry), Sébastien Buemi (former F1 driver)
Sport: World Cycling Centre (a high-performance training centre featuring a velodrome, a BMX track and an athletics track. It is also home to the headquarters of the International Cycling Union), Cyclophile Aigle. Events: Aigle City Grand Prix (track cycling, men’s and women’s events), Aigle-Tour d’Aï-Leysin Alpine Half Marathon
Cycling: 8 km of cycle paths, rising to 40 km in the medium term thanks to the cycling masterplan; a junction for several regional and national routes; Velospot, a self-service bike hire scheme; 3 Bike Lab repair stations; installation of 7 bike shelters in 2022
Economy: global cycling hub, services, Reitzel (condiment factory founded in 1909), Badoux wines, Zyma pharmaceuticals, metal processing company Zwahlen and Mayr SA.
Heritage: castle (12th century) housing the Museum of Vines, Wine and Labels, the Hervé Foundation (collection of vintage cars), Espace Graffenried (art exhibitions)
Festivals: Mondial du Chasselas (international competition featuring wines made from the Chasselas grape variety), Swiss Wine Tourism Award, Fête des couleurs (multicultural festival).
Labels: Energy City label. Motto: Recta volat cum scientia et justica (It flies straight to its goal with knowledge and justice)
Websites: aigle.ch / aigle-leysin-lesmosses.ch
DRINK
The wines of Aigle
Wines from the Aigle appellation enjoy an excellent reputation and can draw on a long and rich winemaking tradition. Covering a total area of 132 hectares, the Aigle vineyards benefit from a privileged location in terms of both climate and exposure. White wines account for the lion’s share, covering 110 hectares. Red wines – dominated by Pinot Noir – occupy nearly 22 hectares. The Aigle region remains the home of Chasselas par excellence. Legend has it that in 1523 a diplomat brought a few cuttings of this grape variety from Constantinople to France. But it is not known whether the Aigle Chasselas comes from France or whether the Romans had previously imported it. In any case, it has found a perfect home in the Vaud region.