📍 Aosta Valley

The Aosta Valley is a mountain region in north-west Italy, bordering Switzerland to the north and France to the west. It matches the basin of the Dora Baltea river down to Pont-Saint-Martin and is ringed by the highest peaks in Europe. The valley runs east to west, so its sunny slopes face south. Labels here may be in Italian and in French.

The climate is continental, harsh and dry: about 500 mm of rain a year, among the lowest in the Alps, and roughly 2,200 hours of sunshine. Vines grow on stony terraces built since the late Middle Ages. In the upper valley they are trained on low pergolas about 1.5 m high, in the lower valley on tall chestnut pergolas. Most vineyards lie below 1,000 m, but in Morgex and La Salle they reach 1,300 m.

The whole region has a single appellation, DOC Valle d'Aosta / Vallée d'Aoste (since 1971). It covers 19 varietal wines, in which the named grape makes up at least 85 %, and 7 sub-zones. Donnas is Nebbiolo aged for at least 24 months; Torrette, Chambave and Enfer d'Arvier are Petit Rouge; Nus is Vien de Nus with Petit Rouge; Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle is Prié Blanc alone.

Sweet wines are also made here, from dried grapes (passito, flétri) and from late harvests, while sparkling Blanc de Morgex matures only in bottle, at least 9 months on the lees.

Why it matters to you. Nus Malvoisie is not Malvasia: it is made from Pinot Gris. The sub-zone on the label hints at the grape: Donnas means Nebbiolo, Blanc de Morgex means Prié Blanc. Whites are served at 4–10 °C, reds at 15–18 °C.