📍 Valais

Valais (German: Wallis) is a canton in south-western Switzerland on the upper course of the Rhône, surrounded by the Alps. Its vineyards stretch along the slopes of the valley: the canton has 62 wine-growing communes, 18,225 owners and 72,799 plots. The highest plots, near Visperterminen, lie about 1,100 m above sea level.

It is one of the driest and sunniest corners of the country: according to the canton, it gets about 2,000 hours of sunshine and 600 mm of rain a year. In 2023 traditional mountain irrigation was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; Switzerland was one of the seven countries behind the nomination.

In 2025 vines covered 4,578 ha out of 14,432 ha across Switzerland – 31.7 % – and the harvest came to 285,475 hl. The most widely planted variety is Pinot Noir (26.6 % of the area), followed by Chasselas (16.0 %) and Gamay (9.4 %); red varieties together account for 57.3 %. The cantonal rules list Amigne, Arvine (Petite Arvine), Humagne Blanc, Rèze and Cornalin, also known as Rouge du Pays, as local grapes.

AOC Valais wine is made only from grapes harvested and processed in the canton, and blending it with wine from anywhere else is forbidden. The yield limit is 1.4 kg/m² for Chasselas and 1.2 kg/m² for other varieties. Grand Cru only ever appears together with the name of a commune, and the rare Vin des Glaciers is aged for at least 15 years in larch casks in the Val d'Anniviers.

Why it matters to you. Fendant is not a grape but the traditional name for a wine made solely from Chasselas; Johannisberg is Sylvaner, Malvoisie is Pinot Gris and Heida is Savagnin. Dôle is a red from Pinot Noir and Gamay (together at least 51 %, with Pinot Noir dominant). The wording “Grand Cru Valais” is prohibited. Whites are served at 4–10 °C, reds at 15–18 °C.