Wine and Wineyards of the Aosta Valley

Let’s start this journey into the wine places of Italy from the North-West of the peninsula: Valle D’Aosta.
In this region weather and soil conditions aren’t so good for wine producing, but, thanks to the passion and diligence of winemakers, this land has become the cradle for very good, famous and tasty wines. We can identify five areas, each one of them linked to a mountain.

Monte Bianco wines

This is the land par excellence of Prié Blanc, a unique and local white berry vine variety, traditionally grown at low pergola. Singular weather conditions preserved it from being damaged by phylloxera, an insect that usually attacks the leaves and roots of grapevines, and this is the reason why Prié Blanc is nowadays one of the rare ungrafted wine varieties, that means it is not grafted on an American vine. Vine growing and wine producing is made at an altitude between 900 et 1225 meters. Other white berry vine varieties are: white Moscato, Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay, grey Pinot (Pinot Gris in French), Petite Arvine.
Red berry vine varieties are: Petit rouge, Nebbiolo, black Pinot (Pinot Noir in French), Gamay, Fumin, Cornallin, Mayolet, Syrah.

Main vineyards: La Piagne et Cottin, the highest in Europe.

Main white wines: Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle.

Main sparkling wines: Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle sparkling.

Main sweet wines: Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle (late grape harvest).

Grappa: Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle, Blanc de Morgex et de LaSalle (late grape harvest) grappa.

Gran Paradiso wines

Enfer d’Arvier and Torrette are the kings of this land. They are most important DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata, Controlled Denomination of Origin) wines, come from traditional al local vine varieties.

Wine heritage: Petit Rouge, Fumin, Cornalin, Mayolet, Premëtta.

Main vineyards: Enfer, Mont Torretta, Les Cretes.

Main white wines: Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Petite Arvine, grey Pinot.

Main red wines: Cornalin, Enfer d’Arvier, Fumin, Gamay, Mayolet, Merlot, Petit Rouge, black Pinot, Prëmetta, Syrah, Torrette.

Main sweet wines: grey Pinot (late grape harvest).

Monte Emilius wines

Wine heritage: local vine variety Cornalin, Fumin, Mayolet, Premetta, Petit Rouge, Vien de Nus and traditional vine variety Nus Malvoisie, a Pinot Grigio local selection.

Main vineyards: Côte de Gargantua, Vigna Rovettaz, Vigne del Castello di Nus.

Main red wines: Cornalin, Fumin, Gamay, Mayolet, Merlot, Nus, Petit Rouge, Pinot Nero, Prëmetta, Syrah, Torrette.

Main white wines: Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Nus Malvoisie, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero (vinified in white).

Main sweet wine: Nus Malvoisie Passito

Main grappa: (Sweet) Nus Malvoisie

Monte Cervino wines

Wine heritage: local vine variety Fumin, Mayolet, Vien de Nus, Petit Rouge and traditional vine variety Nus Malvoisie, local selection of Pinot grigio

Main red wines: Chambave, Fumin, Gamay, Mayolet, Merlot, Nus, Petit Rouge, Pinot Nero, Syrah.

Main white wines: Chambave Moscato, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Nero (vinified in white).

Main sweet wines: Chambave Moscato, Moscato Bianco, Müller Thurgau (late harvest), Nus Malvoisie.

Grappa: Chambave Moscato, Chambave Moscato Passito, Fumin, Müller Thurgau.

Monte Rosa wines

Wine heritage: Nebbiolo, known also as Picotendro (Picoutener in French)

Main vineyards: Montjovet, Plan de Ville and the barmet (wine cellars digged in the rock among the vineyards) lands from the city of Rovarey to Ronc one.

Main red wines: Arnad-Montjovet, Donnas, Gamay, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Pinot Nero, Syrah

Main white wines: Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio

Main rosé wines: Nebbiolo Rosé

Main sweet wine: Chardonnay Vendemmia Tardiva, Pinot Grigio Vendemmia Tardiva

Grappa: Nebbiolo grappa