Did I say Eclectic? How about weird? The first Swiss wine region I’ll cover is Valais. With Sion as its center, Valais is the third biggest Canton in Switzerland and the biggest wine region: over 100 Kilometers long stretching from German speaking Oberwallis to the French speaking Unterwallis. Well known wine areas are Ardon, Chamoson, Conthey, Fully, Leuk, Leytron, Martigny, Muraz, Ort, Salquenen (Salgesch), Sierre, Sion, St. Pierre-de-Clages, Vétroz and Visp. An AOC-System was introduced in 1993.
Profiting from over 300 sunny days a year, most of the vineyards are on the south facing right side of the Rhône between Martigny and Leuk. Many are steep with terraces cut into the sides of mountains, ranging in altitude from 450 to 650 Meters, and peaking as high as 1’100 Meters in the vineyards of Visperterminen in Oberwallis. It is one of the highest winegrowing regions in Europe. Here they produce a wide range of wines, from the red Pinot Noir, and the Pinot Noir and Gamy blend labeled “Dole”, to crisp and light Fendants (Fendant is the local alias for the Chasselas grape) to the sweet Spätlesen with it’s 20% alcohol content.
Diversity is due to the variety of soils, microclimates, and the array of grapes used, using reliable favorites as well as more obscure indigenous grape varieties. There are about 60 different grape varieties in Valais, with four accounting for 90% of production; 50% for Fendant with, Pinot Noir, Gamay und Silvaner filling the remainder. Valais is responsible for about half the vintage wines produced in Switzerland.
Winds can be strong, and the influence of the infamous Föhn – a warm southerly wind said to cause headaches and erratic behavior in people -- is favorable to the vines. Water can be scarce with an average rainfall of about 600 mm, so irrigation is standard, with some traditional wood canals called “Bisses” still in use. The soil can vary widely in the region, but is generally light, well-aired, little clay, with limestone in all areas.
The principal white grape in Valais is the Chasselas, called "Fendant" here, and it accounts for 45% of white wine production. This multitalented little grape can produce wine that ranges from a dry, low acid, delicate “sippin” wine, through to a stocky, fruity, “you’d better be sure it’s chilled” wine.
Is that enough to call Valais eclectic and/or weird? Nope, but how’s this: other white grapes grown here are the Sylvaner, which they call "Johannisberger or Gros Rhin", Pinot Gris which is named "Malvoisie”, Marsanne Blanche called "Ermitage," Savagnin Blanc dubbed “Heida”, Bernarda or “Prié Blanc”, plus Amigné, Arvine, Humagne Blanc, Muscat, Païen, (relative of Traminer?), Pinot Blanc, Planscher, Rèze, and Riesling-Sylvaner, Gewürztraminer … AND, in the Oberwallis old indigenous varieties such as Gwäss, Himbertscha and Lafnetscha. Oh, and a bit of Riesling and Chardonnay. That’s the whites.
The red range is a bit narrower. Pinot Noir is predominant, followed by Gamay, and the two are often blended 2/3s Pinot Noir and 1/3 Gamay, with the ones achieving a minimum quality level being labeled “Dôle”. You will also find some Humagne Rouge or “Cornalin d´Aoste”, Cornalin du Valais, Eyholzer, Goron de Bovernier, Syrah, Diolinoir (a cross between Diolly and Pinot Noir) and Durize.
But how can it not be eclectic? With 22,000 vineyard-owners sharing 5,200 hectares of vines, for most of them it’s a part-time activity. Only about 700 of them, around 15%, bottle any wine commercially themselves. Most sell their production to the cooperatives or to the negociants
(Hoboscribe - I’ve read something about a rare wine called “36 Plants” which in the old days really was a blend of 36 grape varieties. I’ve only seen the one reference to it so far so if you hear anything let me know)
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