Valle d'Aosta DOC

The Valle d’Aosta DOC is the only regional appellation in the whole of the Aosta Valley and one of the smallest, highest and most fascinating in Italy. Created in 1985, it covers the entire regional territory and takes in an extraordinary variety of native grape varieties, many of them unique in the world, grown in an extreme mountain area, often terraced and hard to work.

Subzones

The DOC is divided into subzones e geographical mentions which bring out the different identities of the wines: from mineral, spicy reds to fresh, vertical whites, through to rosés and dessert wines of great elegance.

Production area

• Region: Aosta Valley

• Area: the whole region, from the slopes of Mont Blanc to the border with Piedmont

• Vineyard altitude: 300–1.200 m above sea level (among the highest in Europe)

• Soils: sandy, morainic, limestone, schistose

• Climate: dry Alpine, wide temperature swings, short summers

Cultivation is often heroic, with terraced vineyards supported by dry-stone walls.

Distinctive grape varieties

Indigenous varieties

• Petit Rouge

• Fumin

• Cornalin (Cornalin d’Aoste)

• Mayolet

• Vuillermin

• Prëmetta (or Prié Rouge)

• Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle (Prié Blanc)

• Malvoisie (late-harvest Pinot Grigio)

International varieties that have adapted

• Nebbiolo (Picotendro)

• Pinot Nero

• Chardonnay

• Gamay

• Müller-Thurgau

Main subzones

The DOC is broken down into numerous village mentions:

• Arnad-Montjovet – Nebbiolo reds, austere and long-lived

• Donnas – Vertical, mineral Nebbiolo

• Chambave – aromatic whites and spicy reds

• Enfer d’Arvier – warm, intense reds from Petit Rouge

• Nus – spicy reds and Malvoisie passito wines

• Morgex et de La Salle – heroic whites from Prié Blanc

• Torrette – the most representative red, based on Petit Rouge

Types of wine

• Whites: fresh, mineral, aromatic

• Reds: spicy, light or structured, with a marked Alpine identity

• Rosés

• Passito wines (Malvoisie)

• Sparkling wines (from Prié Blanc)

Organoleptic profile

The Valle d’Aosta DOC produces wines:

• fresh, taut and vertical, thanks to the altitude

• spicy and mineral, because of the nature of the soils

• fragrant, with unique alpine notes

• authentic and rooted in the local area, often from rare, ancient grape varieties

Recommended pairings

• Fondue, polenta concia

• Mountain game (venison, roe deer)

• Aosta Valley cured meats (lardo di Arnad, boudin)

• Trout and river fish

• Fontina DOP and mountain pasture cheeses

Why choose Valle d’Aosta DOC

To discover heroic wines grown in a unique Alpine area
For the wealth of rare indigenous grape varieties
For a fresh, mineral wine profile with a strong identity
For perfect pairings with mountain cooking