Housed in Boudry Castle, the Museum of Vine and Wine traces two thousand years of Neuchâtel winegrowing tradition. The cantonal oenothèque, located in the castle cellars, lets you taste Neuchâtel wines after touring the collections.
Themed museums
Main highlights
- Two thousand years of winegrowing told through tools, cooperage and wine labels
- An 18th-century wooden wine press that took four to six men to operate
- The cantonal oenothèque offers tastings of local wines in the castle cellars
Overview
Boudry Castle has overlooked the village since the 13th century. In 1951, the Compagnie des Vignolants du Vignoble Neuchâtelois proposed creating a museum there dedicated to vines and wine. It opened on 1 October 1957, when representatives of the nineteen winegrowing municipalities placed vineyard soil in the castle well.
Redesigned in 1989, the site brings together the museum, the cantonal oenothèque and reception rooms. Winegrowing long played a major role in the canton’s economy : until the 17th century, the State drew a third of its revenue from the wine trade.
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What to see and do
The visit begins with a Roman mosaic depicting a symposium scene. The following rooms show how winegrowing techniques evolved. The centrepiece is an 18th-century wooden central-screw wine press, which came from the Maison du Tilleul in Saint-Blaise.
The exhibition also covers cooperage, the history of wine containers, tools for working the soil and treatments against vine diseases. A collection of labels illustrates the graphic and commercial evolution of Neuchâtel wine. On the artistic side, a large tapestry by Jean Lurçat depicts a grape harvest scene, and large paintings evoke the lives of winegrowers of the past.
In the cellars, the oenothèque offers tastings of Neuchâtel wines. One package combines the visit with a tasting of four wines : a white, an Oeil de Perdrix and two reds.
Practical information
Getting there : the castle is in the village of Boudry, reachable by car or public transport from Neuchâtel.
Visit duration : about 1 hour 30 minutes for the museum and the oenothèque.
Ideal for : wine lovers, groups and families.
On site : nearby parking, oenothèque, rooms for banquets and conferences with catering.
Visitor tips
Book the visit-and-tasting package to end your tour in the cellars. The staff at the oenothèque are happy to answer questions about the region’s grape varieties and winemaking.
From the castle, the view stretches across the vineyards. Set aside some time to explore the wine village of Boudry.
Nearby attractions
- The Creux-du-Van is a rocky cirque at the heart of a protected reserve, with arctic-alpine flora.
- The Neuchâtel Natural History Museum presents wildlife, geology and evolution.
- The Collegiate Church of Neuchâtel, built in the 12th and 13th centuries, blends Romanesque forms with Gothic influences.
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