The best wines of Valais
Discover the best wines of Valais as well as the best winemakers of Valais and estates of Valais to visit. Explore the popular grape varieties of Valais and the best vintages to taste in this region.
Looking for a good wine of Valais among the top wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent wines of Valais. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be appropriate with these exceptional wines. Learn more about the region and the wines of Valais with technical and enological descriptions.
Want to buy a red wine of Valais cheap or sell a red wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Red wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or veal such as recipes of sloth pork loin, blanquette of lamb or lamb confit with new potatoes.
On the nose the red wine of the region of Valais. often reveals types of flavors of oak, black fruit or cherry and sometimes also flavors of oaky, blackberry or minerality. In the mouth the red wine of the region of Valais. is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best red wine of Valais.
The Valais is the largest wine region and appellation in Switzerland, responsible for around one third of the country's total wine production. The main Vineyard area covers the southeast-facing slopes of the dramatic Rhône river valley as the glacial waters run southwest between Leuk (Loeche in French) and Fully. The river changes direction at Martigny and then runs northwest to exit the valley and empty into Lac Léman (Lake Geneva).
Vineyard area here comes to around 4,800 hectares (11,800 acres) and is generally located on (often steep) slopes and terraces between the flat, fertile, Heavy soils at the bottom of the valley - often given over to fruit production, industry and urban development - and the bare rock of the mountainside that towers above.
The Valais Terroir is one of the world's most dramatic. The valley benefits from its sheltered position below the high alpine peaks, with the most obvious bonus being the fohn wind, which keeps the area unusually Warm and Dry considering its altitude (most vines grow here at between 460 and 760m - 1500-2500ft).
The fohn effect is also enjoyed by Ticino, although there, mountain weather systems bring sporadic, heavy rainfall.
Vertiginous alpine topography also gives the vines in Valais the advantage of emphasized vineyard orientation and many are planted on steep gradients of up to 90% (42 degrees).
This steepness, although making it markedly harder to manage and harvest the vines, brings the significant benefits of excellent drainage and increased exposure to sunlight.
Production is centered around the towns and villages that run aLong the 50km (30 mile) section of the valley from Martigny in the southwest to Leuk, northeast. It is not unusual to see labels mention both variety and town, such as "Amigne de Vétroz" or "Fendant de Sion".
This commune-based labelling convention is a reasonably widespread Swiss quirk as most appellations in the country follow broad, cantonal boundaries yet allow the name of the commune (sometimes even cadastral names and "lieu-dits") on the label.
Want to buy a white wine of Valais cheap or sell a white wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
White wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of stuffed tomatoes, spinach, smoked salmon and ricotta lasagne or three ways to prepare chinese noodles.
On the nose the white wine of the region of Valais. often reveals types of flavors of peach, minerality or apricot and sometimes also flavors of caramel, almonds or cheese.
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best white wine of Valais.
Originally from Bordeaux, Sauvignon, or Sauvignon Blanc, is reputed to be one of the best French grape varieties for white wine. It is a white grape variety, not to be confused with Sauvignon Gris and its pale yellow color, or with Cabernet Sauvignon which produces red wines. Particularly famous thanks to Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc is cultivated as far as New Zealand, where it produces great wines whose reputation is well established.
Want to buy a sparkling wine of Valais cheap or sell a sparkling wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Sparkling wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of rabbit stew the old fashioned way, salmon steaks with soy sauce or quiche without pastry, courgette and blue cheese.
On the nose the sparkling wine of the region of Valais. often reveals types of flavors of non oak, earth or microbio and sometimes also flavors of vegetal, oak or tree fruit.
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sparkling wine of Valais.
Wine with persistence in the mouth. This persistence in the mouth of a wine is measured in caudalies.
Want to buy a pink wine of Valais cheap or sell a pink wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Pink wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of blanquette of veal in pickle sauce, roast pork with prunes or duck breast with red fruits.
On the nose the pink wine of the region of Valais. often reveals types of flavors of raspberry, cheese or non oak and sometimes also flavors of microbio, red fruit or pineapple.
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best pink wine of Valais.
Pinot Blanc is a grape variety that originated in Burgundy, mutated from Pinot Gris. Today, it is grown in Alsace where it is called klevner when blended with auxerrois. The continental climate, with its cold winters and hot summers, is particularly suited to pinot blanc. It is resistant to frost in winter and in summer, the roots draw the minerals it needs from the warm soil. Its bunches are made up of small berries with thick skins and melting pulp that produce fruity, spicy wines, balanced between acidity and alcohol. pinot blanc is also used for crémants and sparkling wines. Pinot Blanc is also used for Crémant and sparkling wines. It is widely grown in Italy, where it covers almost 7,000 hectares, and is also found in Germany, Austria, Canada and South Africa.
Want to buy a sweet wine of Valais cheap or sell a sweet wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Sweet wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of rabbit in sauce, gratin of ravioli with salmon or spaghetti with shrimp and cream.
On the nose the sweet wine of the region of Valais. often reveals types of flavors of peach, apricot or microbio and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, red fruit or earth. In the mouth the sweet wine of the region of Valais. is a powerful with a nice freshness.
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best sweet wine of Valais.
Mechanical action consisting of pressing the grapes (before fermentation for whites) or the marc soaked in wine (after fermentation for reds).
Want to buy a natural-sweet wine of Valais cheap or sell a natural-sweet wine of Valais at the best price on the market? Find out which ones are popular and which ones to keep in your cellar for a few more years.
Natural sweet wines from the region of Valais go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or veal such as recipes of seven o'clock leg of lamb, chaouia lamb or potjevleesch (meat in a pot).
A wine route planned in the region of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of the best natural-sweet wine of Valais.