The Maison Gilliard is one of the world's great estates. It offers 95 wines for sale in of Valais to come and discover on site or to buy online.
Looking for the best Maison Gilliard wines in Valais among all the wines in the region? Check out our tops of the best red, white or effervescent Maison Gilliard wines. Also find some food and wine pairings that may be suitable with the wines from this area. Learn more about the region and the Maison Gilliard wines with technical and enological descriptions.
How Maison Gilliard wines pair with each other generally quite well with dishes of poultry, lean fish or mild and soft cheese such as recipes of couscous without couscous maker, baked monkfish fillets with tomato or raclette-style gratin.
On the nose the white wine of Maison Gilliard. often reveals types of flavors of peach, minerality or apricot and sometimes also flavors of caramel, almonds or cheese. In the mouth the white wine of Maison Gilliard. is a with a nice freshness.
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.
How Maison Gilliard wines pair with each other generally quite well with dishes of veal, pork or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of andouillette de troyes with chaource sauce, the garbure or duck stew with cahors wine.
On the nose the sweet wine of Maison Gilliard. often reveals types of flavors of peach, apricot or microbio and sometimes also flavors of tree fruit, red fruit.
Savagnin is a white grape variety originating from the Austrian Tyrol. It arrived in Franche Comté and quickly became the flagship variety of the Jura. Cousin of the gewurztraminer, it gives small white bunches. Its berries have a thick skin which resists well to grey rot and to diseases in general. Savagnin thrives on marl soils and is a very aromatic grape variety. It is used in the elaboration of yellow wine, the AOC Château-Châlon is the most representative. This grape variety also produces vin de paille which is a sweet wine for which the ripe grapes are dried on a bed of straw for at least 6 weeks before being pressed. The best known AOC straw wines are: Arbois, Côtes-du-Jura and Etoile. Savagnin is also used to make Macvin du Jura, a liqueur wine, and to make Crémants du Jura.White wines made from Savagnin have great aging potential. They have a powerful and complex aroma with notes of walnut, almonds, hazelnuts, flowers, honey and green apple.
How Maison Gilliard wines pair with each other generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or pork such as recipes of romazava (madagascar), italian veal roulade or roast pork with mustard and honey.
On the nose the red wine of Maison Gilliard. often reveals types of flavors of cherry, oaky or citrus and sometimes also flavors of earthy, red fruit or strawberries. In the mouth the red wine of Maison Gilliard. is a with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
AOC sparkling wine made by traditional method, with specific constraints in the regions of Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Die, Jura, Limoux and the Loire Valley, as well as in Luxembourg.
How Maison Gilliard wines pair with each other generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or pork such as recipes of beef pot au feu (grandma's style), veal cutlets au gratin or special' tagliatelle carbonara.
On the nose the pink wine of Maison Gilliard. often reveals types of flavors of tree fruit, red fruit.
Merlot noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Bordeaux). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by small to medium sized bunches, and medium sized grapes. Merlot noir can be found in many vineyards: South West, Languedoc & Roussillon, Cognac, Bordeaux, Loire Valley, Armagnac, Burgundy, Jura, Champagne, Rhone Valley, Beaujolais, Provence & Corsica, Savoie & Bugey.
Planning a wine route in the of Valais? Here are the wineries to visit and the winemakers to meet during your trip in search of wines similar to Maison Gilliard.
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
