 Valle d’Aosta in the northwest corner of Italy is the country’s smallest region and produces less wine than even some single estates in Sicily. Europe’s highest mountain peaks bear down on the vines which slink along the banks of the Dora Baltea River where 385 acres of vineyards are registered under its all-encompassing Valle d'Aosta DOC. Vineyard plots are typically divided among many growers, making the regional co-ops a commercially attractive option for the region. Only a handful of private wine estates exist, and only a few of those are exported to the United States.
Seven sub-zones at varying elevations produce wines from the valley’s mostly uniform glacial moraine soils. Donnas and Arnad-Montjovet are positioned at an elevation of between 300 and 800 meters at the eastern entrance to the valley, while the vineyards at Morgex, located at the western end, climb to 1200 meters, making them some of the highest in Europe. The region is landlocked and experiences a continental climate with long and cold winters, and a short but hot summer. Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, Chambave, Enfer d’Arvier, Nus, and Torrette make up the remaining zones which lie in between.
Both local and international grapes can be found with varietal plantings based mainly on elevation. Petit Rouge is one of the 13 indigenous grape varieties permitted in the Aosta Valley and is the main grape used in the red wines of Enfer d’Arvier, Torrette, and Chambave. Petite Rouge produces deeply colored wines with flowery and spicy aromatics and can also be produced as a varietal wine. Fumin is another indigenous grape that was nearly extinct before a few growers started a replanting campaign. Some growers believe Fumin, with its Syrah-like color and pepperiness, is the future of Valle d’Aosta wine.
Picotendro—a local name for Nebbiolo—is an important blending component for Donnas and Arnad-Montjovet reds, and the odd and obscure Premetta grape (grown in just a few vineyards) makes a spicy, clove-flavored rosé. Both Syrah and Pinot Noir have been produced with great success as has Chardonnay and Pinot Gris/Grigio (namely in the commune of Nus). But it is the Petite Arvine (a grape from the Swiss Valais) which is Valle d’Aosta’s signature white wine. A young bottle of Petite Arvine tastes of mountain herbs, white flowers, and apples with a vein of minerals running through it. More refreshing than a bottle of mineral water, Petite Arvine is the ultimate beverage after a long mountain hike in the summer.
The cuisine of Valle d’Aosta is fortifying and features meat and cheese along with potatoes, rice, and polenta. Antipasti might be a simple slice of rye bread, slathered with fresh butter with a slice of mocetta (local prosciutto from ibex or chamois). Main courses are based on cheese (namely Fontina) and nothing is more comforting on a winter day than the region’s famous Fonduta alla Valdostana. The region is famous for its sausages and carbonada, a stewed beef and onion dish cooked with wine, paired with a hearty Petite Rouge or Fumin.
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