Valle d'Aosta

Introduction

Valle d'Aosta, Italy's smallest and most mountainous region, tucked against the French and Swiss borders beneath Mont Blanc, produces tiny quantities of wine from some of the highest-altitude vineyards in Europe.

Terroir and Winemaking

Vines here are planted on steep, terraced slopes at elevations that would be unworkable for viticulture almost anywhere else in Italy, some reaching above 1,200 meters. This extreme alpine terroir favors rare indigenous varieties found almost nowhere else — Petit Rouge, Fumin and Cornalin among the reds, Prié Blanc among the whites. Production is minuscule compared to any other Italian region, and most Valle d'Aosta wine is consumed locally or by visitors rather than exported, making it a genuine discovery for anyone who tracks one down.