Valle d'Aosta

Viticulture at 600 to 1,300 metres above sea level, at the foot of the Alps.

The smallest and most mountainous Italian region, with around 450 hectares of vineyards, was created in 1986 and winds horseshoe-shaped around the small alpine town of Aosta on the border with France and Switzerland, overlooked by the mighty St. Gotthard. Cold and snowy winters as well as warm summers with cold nights create mineral, delicate wines in the Aosta Valley.

The vineyards are 90 kilometres long and nestle close to the border with Piedmont, the gorge through which the small river Dora Baltea flows. The highest vineyards are in Morgex and La Salle. Winegrowing in the Aosta Valley was practised long before the turn of time by the indigenous people of the Salassi. Later, the Romans controlled the Alpine passes and planted vineyards. They were followed by the Catholic monks of the Benedictines and Cistercians. They worked hard to drive terraces into the rocky slopes. From the ninth century onwards, the Aosta Valley came under French influence again and again. The bilingual labelling on the bottles of the wines produced there also dates from this period. At the end of the 19th century, the vineyards still had an area of 3,000 hectares. Meanwhile, great efforts are being made to return to these old times.

4,000 winegrowers. 40 communities. 450 acres. Over 20 autochthonous grape varieties.

The Aosta Valley's special feature is the variety of autochthonous, rare grape varieties such as Blanc de Morgex, Freisa, Fumin, Malvoisie de Nus, Moscato di Chambave, Neyret, Petite Arvine, Petit Rouge and Vien de Nus. Quite a few of them are also spread across the border in the Swiss canton of Valais. Even in the fragrance and taste of the wines, some similarities can be seen between the two countries. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Müller-Thurgau, Nebbiolo and Syrah can also be found in the Aosta Valley. However, in homeopathic quantities. Total production in the Valle d’Aosta is so small with 2.7 million litres, almost everything from the only DOC, that the wines are almost only known in the region itself. At some international events, however, they have attracted a lot of attention in recent years.

Behind the name Valle d'Aosta (Vallée d'Aoste), there is a regional DOC covering the entire region, with around 40 municipalities and around 4,000 winegrowers. More than two dozen types of wine from twenty-two vine varieties are authorised in this area.

Main white wine grape varieties

• Chardonnay
• Gewurztraminer
• moscato
• Müller-Thurgau
• Petite Arvine
• Pinot Bianco
• Pinot Grigio
• Prié Blanc (8%)

Main red wine grape varieties

• Carnelian
• Smoke (7%)
• Gamaret
• Gamay
• Mayolet
• Merlot
• Nebbiolo (12%)
• Petit Rouge (20%)
• Pinot Nero (8%)
• Red Prayer
• Syrah
• Comes from Nus
• Vuillermin

The DOC is divided into three large cultivation zones, which differ from each other in their soil composition and altitude. If a grape variety is indicated on the bottle label, at least 90 per cent of the wine must have been made from this grape. If, on the other hand, the label contains information such as "Bianco/Blanc", "Rosso/Rouge" or "Rosato/Rosé" all vine varieties authorised in the regional DOC may have been used in any blend. SUPERIORE.DE