Valais

Overview

Valais stretches more than 100 kilometers along the Rhône Valley, producing roughly one-third of all Swiss wine. Its vineyards climb from 270 meters to 1,100 meters at Visperterminen, Europe's highest vineyard site, across terraced slopes supported by thousands of kilometers of dry-stone walls.

The canton is famed for indigenous varieties such as Petite Arvine, Cornalin, Humagne Rouge, and Amigne, alongside the mainstream trio of Pinot Noir, Chasselas (known locally as Fendant), and Gamay. The signature Dôle blend combines Pinot Noir and Gamay, while late-harvest sweet wines rank among the country's most prized.

Key Varietals

• Pinot NoirThe leading red, producing silky, red-berry wines with Alpine freshness and mineral elegance.
• ChasselasCalled Fendant here, this fresh white shows apple, citrus, and a characteristic flinty minerality.
• Petite ArvineAn indigenous white that delivers crisp acidity, saline notes, and aromas of grapefruit and wisteria.
• GamayA lively red that brightens the Dôle blend with juicy raspberry and peppery fruit.