Switzerland Wine County – Winemaking in Vevay

Immigrant James Dufour recognized the area now known as Vevay in the Northwest Territory as ideal for vineyards because its gentle hills resembled those of his native district of Vevay, Switzerland, and he named the area New Switzerland. In 1800 he brought seventeen members of his family there and encouraged other French-speaking Swiss settlers to join him in the rich farmland. He petitioned Congress for credit to buy vineyard land so he could introduce grape culture to the United States, and Congress granted growers twelve years to pay for their land purchases. In 1803 his son John Francis rode on horseback to President Thomas Jefferson carrying two kegs of wine. By 1809 the New Switzerland area was producing 1,200 gallons of wine a year. Dufour also wrote The Vinedressers Guide, the standard authority on wine grape growing in North America. Although Prohibition ended the Indiana wine industry, the small-winery law passed in 1971 allowed its rebirth by permitting wineries to sell directly to the public. Today Vevay's Swiss settlement and winemaking history are celebrated at the annual Swiss Wine Festival, which draws thousands of people to enjoy the wine, traditions, and culture of the Swiss settlers.

Vevay, Indiana · United States