Valle d'Aosta | Wine region

North of Piedmont, in the Aosta Valley, majestically protected by the highest peaks of the Alps, excellent white and red wines thrive at altitudes of up to 1,000 meters, occasionally even almost below the glaciers. The region is characterized by its extraordinary diversity: delicate, fresh white wines are produced at higher altitudes, while powerful red wines thrive in the lower vineyards. Nebbiolo, which predominates in the southern part of the valley, produces wines that pair excellently with roasts and the hearty dishes of Valdostan cuisine.

The Aosta Valley borders Switzerland to the north, France to the west, and Piedmont to the south and east, making it Italy's smallest and historically most interesting wine-growing region, which once belonged to France. The alpine character of the landscape constantly presents winegrowers with great challenges, but it is precisely these difficult conditions that often produce surprisingly complex and elegant wines. The combination of extreme locations, partly steep terraces, and a cool climate makes the wines of the Aosta Valley unique ambassadors for this small but exceptionally fascinating region. - Gerardo [TS12/25]

"Although we often drive through the Valle d'Aosta on our way to the far north, trying to imagine the wines as we pass the vineyards on the left and right sides of the mountainsides, we've never filled up with anything here except fuel for the car. That this was wrong, we now know." - Andreas März (MERUM)

"The desire of our tasters to travel to Valle d'Aosta increases every year: the region's wineries are getting better and better and with them the wines. It seems like ages ago when one still had his dear trouble to find a few decent labels along the Dora Baltea. And yet that time was only ten years ago. Today we have an enormous density of wines, and it is difficult to choose. - Slow Wine

---