Valais

Valais – lots of sun, not much rain, sheltered by the Alps. Viticultural conditions could not be better.

The almost 5,000 hectares of Valais vines, which stretch from west to east over a hundred kilometres on both sides of the Rhone, are mainly planted with red varieties, above all Pinot noir and Gamay, which are later blended into the popular Cuvée Dôle. Almost 40 per cent of the vineyard area is devoted to white wine. Typical Valais varieties such as Cornalin and Humagne Rouge produce robust, rustic red wine. Among white wine, Fendant (Chasselas), Petite Arvine and Heida are known far beyond the canton’s borders. Most of the vineyards are terraced, which requires a great deal of manual labour.