Official website for tourism in the Aosta Valley
Some food and wine itineraries to discover the flavours and the agricultural production of the Aosta Valley.
Useful information on local products, traditional recipes and interesting facts about the surrounding territory and the main gastronomic festivals. In each tour description you will also find links to local food producers ( to be visited on reservation), the farm-restaurants or educational farms along the way. Good journey through the flavours !
How: by car.
Recommended duration: one day.
Recommended period: all year round.
Distance: about 10 km.
To the Aosta Valley from Piedmont, the towns and villages to be discovered along the way are waiting to greet gourmets with pleasant surprises such as full bodied wines and a high quality ‘lardo DOP’.
Wines
The mountain is distinguished by the vineyards on the ‘adret’, the sunny side of the river, where the grapes gently bask in the sun from the early morning to sunset.
Reds: Arnad-Montjovet, Donnas, Gamay, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Syrah
Whites: Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio
Rosés: Nebbiolo Rosato
Straw wines: Chardonnay Vendemmia Tardiva, Pinot Grigio Vendemmia Tardiva
Grappa
Grappa di Nebbiolo
Cured meats and sausages
The Lard d’Arnad, a product with Protected Designation of Origin (‘DOP’), is only produced from the shoulder of pigs which weigh more than 200 kg. The pieces of fat are placed to mature inside ‘doils’, old oak or chestnut wood containers inside of which the fat is layered until the top and the layers are alternated with a mixture made of salt, water, spices natural flavourings and aromatic mountain herbs. The ‘lardo’ is then left to age for at least three months; it is during this process that the product takes on the smell and the special organoleptic characteristics that set it apart. The thin slices of cured fat melt in the mouth: heavenly when combined with crusty rye bread, softened by a drop of honey.
The local producers also offer other traditional cured meats: the motzetta, flavour-packed, aromatic dried meat (beef or chamois goat meat) and the Boudins (pig blood sausages with potato and beetroot) to mention just a few.
Cheese
In addition to Fontina DOP cheese, which can be found all over the Aosta Valley region, the local farms also produce other fresh cow’s milk cheeses (such as reblec cheese) as well as matured cheeses (various toma cheeses) and other milk derivatives (brossa, butter, yoghurt). Also typical of the area is salignön, a creamy and fatty ricotta, with a spicy flavour mixed with salt, pepper and chilli.
The dairy farms can be visited upon reservation and the products can be bought from the various shops found on the premises.
Interesting facts
Events
How: by car.
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended period: all year round (July and August for the festivals and to visit the mountain pastures).
Distance: about 38 km.
The Great St. Bernard Valley and the Valpelline hold pleasant surprises for lovers of traditional gastronomy: spectacular aging rooms for Fontina cheese dug out of the rock inside an old copper mine, a DOP dry-cured ham and countless summer festivals.
Cured meats and sausages
In Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, or more precisely in the village of Saint-Rhémy, you can visit the aging facility of Jambon de Bosses, a local delicate dry-cured ham which has been awarded the ‘DOP’ mark (Protected Designation of Origin). The local climate and the special aging process give this cured meat its typical aromatic flavour. The products can also be tasted and purchased at the specialised shop ‘De Bosses depuis 1397 Jambon’ in Bosses.
Cheeses
In addition to Fontina DOP cheese, other fresh cow’s milk cheeses are produced by local farms which are scattered throughout the Aosta Valley (such as seras cheese and reblec cheese) as well as the matured (toma) cheese, goat cheeses and other milk derivatives.
The dairy farms can be visited upon reservation; they usually have their own shops on the premises and in the summer period some even let you visit the pastures situated high on the mountain.
At the Visitors Centre of the Milk and Fontina Cooperative Producers in Valpelline, there are several areas displaying educational boards and objects connected to the history and the world of Fontina cheese as well as a projection room in which a video shows the production phases of the Fontina DOP cheese, a multimedia workstation and a shop that sells cheeses, butter and Fontina cheese and Fondue.
At the side of the Visitor Centre a tunnel dug out of the rock is located which is used for aging the Fontina: the aging room can be visited at certain times, is housed in an old copper mine and offers a striking sight with hundreds of cheese wheels being aged, each one individually cared for by hand.
Interesting facts
The medieval towns of Etroubles and Saint-Rhémy are situated on a Roman road which runs from the city of Aosta and climbs the slopes of the Pennine Alps (Alpis Poenina), towards Valais and Northern Europe. This is the Via Francigena, which up until the Middle Ages, was the only connection between Italy and England; it was travelled on by foot, by horse or by mule in order to reach Rome from the hills of Great St. Bernard. It now passes through the centre of the Etroubles and Saint-Rhémy.
Since 2010, there has been an artisan producer in Etroubles: Les Bières du Grand-Saint-Bernard, a business producing unfiltered, unpasteurised beer.
Everyone in Valpelline prepares the local dish Seupa à la Vapelenentse – a delicious soup made of bread and Fontina cheese – with the pride of being both the ‘creator’ and the ‘guardian’ of this ancient recipe. The ‘Seupa à la Vapelenentse’ has been awarded with the DOC mark (Controlled Designation of Origin) due to the preparation methods used that still comply with the customs of the past: only the soup from Valpelline is ‘the real seupa’!
Events
During the summer period, in the territory of these two valleys, various towns and villages are enlivened by festivals dedicated to local products and recipes.
At the beginning of July the undisputed star of local products is celebrated: the Vallée D’Aoste Jambon de Bosses.
The Seupa Festival brightens the municipality of Valpelline in the last week of July, the anniversary of the Patron Saint, and always attracts droves of loyal visitors and tourists who want to taste this delicious dish.
At the beginning of August, Saint-Oyen is host to the Festival of Roast Jambon, celebrating a traditional product from the Aosta Valley: the ham is cooked on a spit over enormous barbecues that burn fir, larch, pine, alder and ash wood sourced from the Great St. Bernard Upper Valley, until the distinct golden colour of the rind is obtained thanks to the application of an emulsion of white wine and honey.
Oyace, in mid-August, hosts the Fontina Festival where you can taste this DOP cheese alone or as an ingredient in various dishes.
Also in August, in Gignod, the Fëta di Teteun is held, which is dedicated to a delicious cured sausage typical of the town, the Teteun prepared using the cow’s udder and processed and flavoured in a special way so as to give the sausage a special flavour and consistency.
In Allein, at the end of August, the Fëta di Trifolle takes place; it is a potato festival which offers culinary specialities based of course on potato, including the delectable Sorsa di Allein: a first course made from potatoes, stock, broad beans, green beans, carrots, pears, apples and black bread.
How: by car.
Recommended duration: three days.
Recommended period: all year round.
Distance: around 14 km.
Villages and towns rich in traces and ruins of the middle ages and also well known for the traditional agricultural production, especially the aromatic wines and the straw wines.
Wines
Red: Chambave, Cornalin, Fumin, Gamay; Mayolet, Merlot, Nus, Petit Rouge, Pinot Noir, Prëmetta, Syrah, Torrette
White: Chambave Moscato, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Nus Malvoisie, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir (a white vinification).
Straw wines: Nus Malvoisie Passito, Chambave Moscato Passito, Moscato Bianco Passito, Müller Thurgau Vendemmia Tardiva.
Grappa
Grappa di Chambave Moscato, Grappa di Chambave Moscato Passito, Grappa di Fumin, Grappa di Müller Thurgau, Grappa di Nus Malvoisie, Grappa di Nus Malvoisie Passito.
Cheese
In addition to Fontina DOP cheese, widely produced all over the Aosta Valley; the local farms also produce other cow’s milk cheeses (such as seras and reblec) as well as matured cheeses (toma), Goat cheeses and other milk derivatives (butter ).
The dairy farms can be visited upon reservation and the products can be bought from the various shops found on the premises.
Interesting facts
Leaving Aosta in the direction of Turin, after having passed the municipality of Saint-Christophe, look to the sunny slope on your left and admire the stern-looking castle, tenaciously clinging to the rock and overlooking the valley floor: the Quart Castle. The castle cannot be visited as it is in progress of restoration works, however it contains fine examples of architecture and paintings dating between the 12th and the 17th Century.
The name Quart notes the presence of a stopping point along the Roman road, four miles from the ancient Augusta Praetoria, now known as Aosta - Ad quartum (lapidem). However, the city has been inhabited since the fourth millennium BC, as can be seen from the necropolis of cist graves in Vollein.
The favourable position on the exposed slope of the Adret, makes the Quart particularly adapted to agriculture and, consequently, there is a distribution of sparse villages in the area and numerous pastures at altitude; among the latter, the Alpe Fontin pasture is to be noted, from which, according to some, the Fontina cheese took its name, the king of Aosta Valley cheeses.
On the other side of the Dora river, a few km after Quart, the town of Saint-Marcel is found, enriched by an interesting ‘rural-residence’ castle in Surpian; dating back to the 14th-15th century and belonging to the Aymavilles branch of the Challant family. Since 2009, the castle has been the subject of historic and archaeological research and study in the context of the Interreg project ‘AVER – Anciens Vestiges En Ruine’, the results of which will lead to the full re-development of this fascinating building. Also worth a visit is the ancient Sanctuary of Plout, entitled ‘Notre Dame du Tout Pouvoir’, subject of strong and widespread popular devotion and the destination of frequent pilgrimages.
The town of Nus is situated at the mouth of the Saint-Barthélemy valley, close to the route of the Roman road of Gaul which owes its name to the distance equal to nine- Ad Nonum - roman miles from Augusta Praetoria and is nestled amongst an airy setting of meadows, vineyards and chestnut trees.
The delicious ‘Baci di Nus’ are an unmissable treat: similar to the more famous and widespread ‘Baci di Dama’ biscuits from Piedmont, but with a higher percentage of walnuts instead of hazelnuts. The intense flavour of these delicacies is reminiscent of the ‘trojlet’, traditional dough produced with the pulp which remains from walnut oil, then blended with sugar and butter.
From Nus, the municipality of Fénis can be reached by car in just a few minutes, located on the shaded side of the ‘envers’, on the right side of the Dora. Here, solemnly lying in the middle of a large clearing, the most famous and spectacular medieval castle of the Aosta Valley is proudly displayed, which once belonged to the powerful Challant family. Its dual defensive wall, its battlements and the numerous watchtowers make this a true symbol of the Middle Ages of the region.
Events
At the end of May in Verrayes the Sarieula Festival (wild thyme) takes place: wild thyme grows spontaneously in the area of this municipality, and during the festival it is used to create numerous flavourful dishes.
In Chambave, at the end of September, the Grape Festival enlivens the town famous for the Moscato DOC with the exhibition of the harvested grapes.
In October, an event which has exceeded over 50 editions is the Castagna d'oro (Golden Chestnut) in Fénis, a three day event dedicated to the best autumnal fruit, the chestnut.
How: by car.
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended period: all year round.
Distance: around 16 km.
In the Valdigne, a large basin at the foot of the Mont Blanc, the high altitude of the vineyards enables the production of fine wines that perfectly complement the local gastronomic products.
Wines
This is the quintessential area of the Prié Blanc, the only autochthonous white grape traditionally grown on low pergolas; special climatic conditions have protected it from the phylloxera vine louse, and so today it is one of the rare varieties of ungrafted vine, not grafted to American vines. The wine is produced at great heights from a maximum of 1225 metres and a minimum of 900 metres.
Special production from overripe grapes: grapes left to dry on the vine and harvested after the first frost, usually the beginning of December. The grapes harvested between -5 and -10° C are pressed whilst frozen and fermented in oak barrels and casks made from local woods and are then aged for a long period.
White
Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle
Sparkling
Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle Spumante
Straw wine
Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle Vendemmia Tardiva
Grappa
Grappa di Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle
Grappa di Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle Vendemmia Tardiva
Cheese
Besides Fontina DOP cheese, which is produced all over the Aosta Valley, other fresh cow’s milk cheeses can be tasted (such as seras) as well as matured cheeses and other milk derivatives (yoghurt).
Interesting facts
The vineyards in this area are among the highest in Europe, however the whole of the Aosta Valley region is an example of the heroic viticulture of the mountain.
Quatremillemètres vins d’altitude is a brand that was born from the synergy of the three historic winemaking cooperatives in the Aosta Valley, the Cave du Vin Blanc de Morgex et de La Salle in Morgex, the Co-Enfer in Arvier and La Crotta di Vegneron in Chambave. Under this mark, spumante sparkling wines are produced according to the Italian, classic and ancestral method of the Aosta Valley. Enthusiasm, research and innovation, whilst still respecting the specificities of the territory and the grapes, are the basic ingredients of these mountain sparkling wines that are deeply rooted in the territory, the spirit of which is represented in the logo that embellishes each individual bottle: the three magnificent giants of the Alps, the most famous four thousand metres in the world: The Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Gran Paradiso have been the home of international mountaineering for centuries. These mountains and their glaciers have shaped a territory which is unique to the world in which the vineyards of the Aosta Valley have been located for 200 years.
The cuisine of the Upper Aosta Valley has been highly influenced by transalpine recipes, which it has often modified creating new versions.
Among the first courses, in addition to the unforgettable yellow flour polenta accompanied by cheese, meat and/or mushrooms, the Tartiflette is also noteworthy. It is a rich Savoyard dish with a base of potatoes, bacon and Reblochon cheese; Other tasty dishes are the Fondue Savoyarde, the Fondue Bourguignonne and the Raclette accompanied by boiled potatoes, cured meats and pickles. Crêpes alla valdostana is a scrumptious dish comprised of a pancake stuffed with ham and Fontina cheese and then baked ‘au gratin’.
Among the second courses, do not miss the aromatic Carbonada: a typical dish of the western alps which is also widespread in the south-east of France, made with beef salted for 12 days and slowly cooked with garlic and smoked ‘lardo’ conserved in salt.
The tasty trout which are used to make the dish ‘alla Mugnaia’ are fished straight from the clear waters of the Dora. The fish is tossed in breadcrumbs and then fried in butter and sage and is perfectly accompanied by the local white wines.
The traditional dessert of the Upper Valley is the crenchen, a sweet, sugared bread (a sort of brioche bread) which is shaped into a plait or a donut but also into the shape of a mask or a cockerel (the latter being called poulì). Also in Courmayeur, the most famous products are the Baci di Courmayeur: a meringue shell smothered in dark chocolate with a rich chocolate and rum cream centre.
Events
At the beginning of September, gourmets cannot miss the food and wine fair Lo Matson, a customary event which takes place on the main streets of Courmayeur and offers the best of the region: wines, cured meats, cheeses, jams and much more.
Every Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. in Morgex, a market takes place called the Marché Agricole du Valdigne which offers products sold directly by the producers (cheeses, honey, preserves, jams, wines, fruit and vegetables).
How: by car.
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended period: all year round (summer for visiting the mountain pastures).
Distance: around 23 Km.
A journey through Cogne to savour some of the best wines of the region and discover the gastronomic specialities of an area famous for its ancient traditions.
Wines
The area of the central valley, near Gran Paradiso, is noted for its flourishing viticulture. The dense terraced area shows the drive and commitment of the farmers to use all of the available land, which is certainly not easy in this mountainous environment. The alpine climate has a huge influence on the organoleptic characteristics of the local wines: the late harvested grapes are subjected to strong fluctuations in temperature due to the thermal excursion which occurs in autumn; this phenomenon, typical of mountainous areas, promotes the formation of aromatic precursors in the bunch, which notably enrich the aroma of the wines.
Reds: Cornalin, Enfer d'Arvier, Fumin, Gamay, Mayolet, Merlot, Petit Rouge, Pinot Noir, Prëmetta, Syrah, Torrette
Whites: Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Petite Arvine, Pinot Grigio
Straw wines: Pinot Grigio Vendemmia Tardiva
Cheeses
In addition to Fontina DOP (with Protected Designation of Origin) cheese, which is widely produced all over the Aosta Valley, you can also taste other fresh cow’s milk cheeses (such as seras) and matured cheeses, Goat cheeses in addition to other milk derivatives (yoghurt).
Interesting facts
The local cuisine of Cogne is rich and delectable, among the local dishes you cannot miss the Seupetta, a delicious soup based on rice and DOP Fontina cheese. Those with a sweet tooth will certainly enjoy the heavenly ‘mécoulin’ which is similar to the Italian panettone and is sweetened with plump raisins and flavoured with lemon zest and rum. Also not to be missed is the exquisite cream of Cogne, a delectable soft serve dessert based on cream, sugar and dark chocolate with a splash of rum.
The use of rum would seem rather unusual in these local dishes as it is certainly not liquor typical of the Aosta Valley. The typical liquor here is génépy?
It is believed that the first sugar cane distillate was produced by a French monk, Jean Baptiste Labat, by using special alembic stills produced in the Cognac area. Gradually, the consumption of this distillate spread beyond the borders of the Caribbean and filtered into the American colonies, until eventually it became a trading commodity and even a form of payment. It was 1700: the Cogne area carried out frequent trades with nearby Piedmont, at the time both lands being French, and rum was certainly amongst the traded goods, coinciding with the rising demand for sugar in Europe. So it is no wonder that the use of this aromatic distillate was quickly learned in the Cogne area.
The seupetta di Cogne is an old traditional dish in the Aosta Valley: it is one of many simple dishes typical of high mountain areas, traditionally prepared with the few ingredients which were available to peasant families at the time. Rice, which is certainly not a typical product of Cogne, was exchanged for local pasture products and therefore was used abundantly in local dishes as it long shelf life allowed to use it for setting up food stocks for the long and isolated winter at the foot of the Gran Paradiso.
In the penultimate week of July, you can visit the Festival of the Favò , a tasty dish based on broad beans, which takes place in the rural village of Ozein, in the municipality of Aymavilles, situated on a panoramic natural terrace which offers an enchanting view. Favò is a very special and delicious soup made from broad beans, Fontina cheese, black bread toasted in butter, sausage, pancetta bacon and pasta, which is perfectly accompanied by a fragrant red wine which such as ‘Torrette’ from Aymavilles.
The uniqueness of this recipe is given by the broad beans which are usually used in Southern Italian cuisine, especially in Sicily and the area of Rome. These beans, known as ‘poor man’s meat’, are rich in protein, low in calories and have a long culinary history; it is said that the broad been was already widespread throughout Europe during the Bronze and Iron Ages, but the most significant testimonies are the numerous references made to the broad bean in the Greek and Roman eras; it is also interesting to note that the black bean was considered as a burial offering, because it was thought that they would contain the souls of the departed. It was also believed that the dead souls who had not found peace would pass through the stem of this plant, which has no nodes, from Hades to the human world. In his De re coquinaria (On the subject of cooking), the Latin writer Apicius described, some recipes which use broad beans, whilst during the Medieval era, the consumption of broad beans was more common to the poorer classes; later, with the discovery of America, the consumption of these pulses started to diminish in favour of the common bean. Why the broad bean is celebrated in the kitchens of Ozein remains a mystery still to be solved; is it the legacy of a distant Roman and Mediterranean presence during the time of Caius Avillius Caimus, a rich ‘entrepreneur’ from Padua who financed the construction of the spectacular bridge and aqueduct ‘Pont d’Aël’ at the end of the first century BC? Or is it simply testimony of consumption of a dry food that could be stored for a long time and sold along with local pasture products, and which simultaneously possessed nutritional characteristics which were suitable to the hard mountain life? The mystery still remains unsolved today, but in the meantime, you should try a dish of Favò as soon as you can … it will be worth it!
Events
In addition to the aforementioned Favò Festival in Ozein, the veillà in Cogne is an unmissable revival of ancient crafts. During the event you can taste local typical dishes (other ‘veillà’ events will also take place in the various hamlets during July and August).
At the end of September, the people of Cogne celebrate the return of the cattle from their summer alpine pastures. This colourful event is commended with a spectacular parade of animals and a market of local products and handicrafts; during the Devétéya (the return from the mountains) many restaurants in Cogne offer themed menus.
How: by car (on foot to visit the mountain refuge).
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended season: all year round (summer to visit the mountain refuge).
Distance: about 11 km.
A route to appreciate the local wines and gastronomic specialities and to discover peasant traditions and rural architecture.
The journey starts at Arvier, where a famous red wine of the Gran Paradiso area is produced, the Enfer d’Arvier which was among the first to obtain the highly regarded ‘DOC’ marking (Denomination of Controlled Origin) in 1972.
The vineyards dominate the area, mainly on the left bank of the Dora river, in an area historically adapted to the grapevine; the natural structure of the valley is an amphitheatre which provides the best conditions for the vines to grow, in a position that is so sunny to be known as the ‘Inferno’.
The Coopérative de l'Enfer can be visited upon prior booking and tasting can be organised on request.
Seven hundred members contribute their grapes each year for the production of around 50,000 bottles of wine which are produced with 85% of Petit Rouge grapes and, for the remainder part, with another five types of grapes permitted by regulations on winemaking.
With the entrance of new members from Avise, the cooperative started to produce the Soleil Couchant wine, a single grape wine obtained from the Pinot Grigio vine. In the same area, the Vin des Seigneurs entered into production in 2006; it is a single grape wine obtained from the Mayolet, an ancient variety of red grape native to the Aosta Valley.
In June, visitors to the area must take a trip to Avise and attend the unmissable Fiocca Festival (whipped cream), the first edition of which took place in 1972. The festival is held in the village of Baulin, about 1800 m above sea level on the edge of the Valgrisenche area.
The ‘fiocca’ is whipped by hand with vigorous force using ‘fouets’, i.e. willow whips, inside a cave where ice can be kept even in summer.
After the usual road race followed by a lunch of local products, the highlight of the festival is the free distribution of fiocca.
Again in Avise, in the hamlet of Runaz, the traditional Chestnut Festival takes place on the last Sunday of October. The chestnut played an important role in the diet and economy of the peasants from the Aosta Valley and is freely distributed with joy and kindness during the festival.
Continuing in the Valgrisenche area, it is also possible to visit the aging room of the Milk and Fontina Cooperative Producers, from April to October, upon reservation. The aging room is located at a high altitude (1700 metres) and is housed in a former gunpowder room dug out in the rock near the fort of Valgrisenche, dating back to the end of the 13th Century. The perfect balance between the temperature which is around 8° C all year round, and the 98% humidity makes this place the ideal environment for maturing the Fontina DOP cheese.
Another traditional product of Valgrisenche is the drap, a rustic fabric made from sheep’s wool on ancient maple-wood looms. As far back as can be remembered, the inhabitants of the Valley have devoted themselves to weaving, especially the men, who were more suited to manoeuvring the rudimentary looms.
The drap tradition is still kept alive today thanks to the valuable work of the cooperative Les Tisserands, whose workshop can be visited. The exhibition on the history of the Drap has also been put on display by the groups and can be visited upon reservation.
Enjoy an overnight stay in one of the accommodation facilities in Valgrisenche and savour a delicious dinner made from local products.
In the summer, trekking enthusiasts can take a 2 hours’ walk from Usellière to the Mario Bezzi refuge restaurant that was awarded the “Saveurs du Val d’Aoste” mark due to the quality and care put into food; here you can also stay overnight. The mountain refuge is at 2284 metres above sea level.
Another awarded facility can be found in the small village of Gerbelle, five minute walk from the capital. The Maison Bovard is a typical house made from stone and wood which offers bed & breakfast with products from the Aosta Valley.
Back in the central valley, in Introd, food and wine lovers can visit the permanent exhibition which illustrates the traditional food products of the Aosta Valley and the evolution of the storage techniques over the centuries.
In the mountainous areas, where land rests for many months and is not able to be cultivated all year round, the local people found a way to store food to feed themselves between one harvest and the next by using various principles of physics and chemistry: the cold, salting, drying, smoking and isolation from cold and light.
The exhibition is displayed in the Maison Bruil, one of the greatest examples of rural architecture in the Gran Paradiso area. It is an old rural farmhouse where all the spaces necessary for the survival of animals and people were grouped under a single roof.
The tour unravels over three floors between the various typical rooms of a traditional home which have been restored to their original function. The old cheese and wine cellar or ‘crotta’ in local dialect, the natural cooler, the small cellar or ‘crotteun’, the ‘peillo’ which was the main heated room in the house, as well as the drying areas and the loft, are just some of the areas which are accessible to the public who want to learn more about traditional architecture.
The Maison Bruil reserves a special space for local products: l’Atelier du Goût. This is also a window display where the area and its products can be discovered along with the producer network ‘Espace Grand Paradis’. Presentations of agricultural food products are organised at the workshop which offer personal interaction with the producers.
Also in Introd, the winery Lo Triolet is located, where the Martin family, in addition to the winery, also manage a small agritourism establishment housed in an old building which dates back to 1656 and offers two apartments which sleep 4 and 5 people.
The Pinot Grigio is a variety of grape suited to growing at an altitude of 800 meters and is well adapted to the microclimate of Introd, which allows the production of very aromatic and full bodied wine, which is becomes even excellent when aged in ‘barrique’ oak barrels.
In the area between Villeneuve and Saint-Pierre there are also private wineries which can be visited upon reservation.
The wine growing vocation of the area is confirmed by the Fiha di Barmé, the festival of the ‘barmé’ which takes place in mid-August in Villeneuve. From early afternoon, the ‘barmé’, the characteristic wine cellars of the village, offer the opportunity to taste various wines and local products from the Aosta Valley. Each barmé is different from the other, they are all carved into the rock of the Becca, the mountain which overlooks Villeneuve, and are characterized by consistent temperature, around 10 degrees, ideal for storing wine and cheese. The festival continues until late at night, both in the wine cellars and in the pavilion which is set up for dinner and musical entertainment.
As well as the flourishing viticulture, the most cultivated fruit in the Aosta Valley is the apple. Large fruit orchards can be found in the Saint-Pierre, Sarre and Villeneuve areas where the Renetta apple, is grown with its fine, scented flesh and wrinkled rusty-yellow skin, as well as the Golden Delicious- a juicy, sweet, crunchy apple with blushed yellow skin.
Why not take the delicious tastes of the tour home? In Saint-Pierre you can buy most of the food produced in the Aosta Valley region at the shop Pain de Coucou. The shop offers particularly fine products which are mostly hand made by traditional artisans; among the products are the lardo di Arnad DOP, (bacon fat), the Fontina DOP cheese, the goat cheeses, the various local types of honey, the wines, the grappa, the apples and their derivatives such as apple vinegar and apple juice, whole wheat and rye bread, grissini breadsticks, traditional desserts and many other delicacies. There are also various handicraft objects typical of the area.
How: by car.
Recommended duration: two days.
Recommended period: all year round.
Distance: about 34 km.
A journey through the heart of the Ayas Valley, an authentic jewel at the foot of the Monte Rosa, decorated with the historic trails carved out by the merchants coming from Switzerland and Germany, dotted with houses and barns and furrowed by the waters of the Evançon stream.
Cheese
In addition to Fontina DOP cheese, typical to the entire Aosta Valley region, the following dairy products are also well noted in the area:
Valle d’Aosta Fromadzo DOP a cheese made using milk from a breed of cow particular to the Aosta Valley, milked in the pastures of the Upper Ayas Valley, at the foot of the Monte Rosa. Produced using raw milk partially skimmed through natural separation and from at least two milkings, it is a half-fat cheese with a sweet taste when fresh and a stronger salty and spicy taste when more mature. In the summer, the rich flora of the pastures grants the Fromadzo cheese an especially pleasant smell of fresh milk.
Matured toma cheese: cheese made from raw milk in the same way as classic toma cheese, but matured over 60 days and enriched with crushed juniper berries, chilli, chives or mountain herbs.
Interesting facts
From Verrès, bypassing the austere castle that overlooks the village below from the top of a rocky cliff, take the winding road that leads to the Ayas Valley. Stretches of countryside, streams and waterfalls, dark coniferous forests and bright chestnut trees, studded with towers and lonely medieval fortresses lead up to the early settlements: Challand-Saint-Victor and Challand-Saint-Anselme. The cuisine typical of the Aosta Valley, simple and substantial at the same time, can be found in this area with several taste variations, among which is the combination of polenta with the Salignoun cheese, with brossa, a cream made from whey, or flavoursome game stews.
In Champoluc, many restaurants offer a menu called Km zero, made of dishes prepared only with local products: potatoes, aromatic herbs, polenta, cheese and meat from locally bred cattle. In Val d’Ayas the typical cuisine offers the great Aosta Valley classics with special attention to the ancient and simple recipes that never age. In this area, you are most likely to find the frittelle di borragine on your plate, a fritter made from a plant that grows wild in the orchards at the beginning of spring - or the fresse or quagliette, a rich and savoury main course based on cabbage and offal, which is best served with polenta. The rostì are also exquisite: crispy balls of polenta filled with cheese and then fried. All this, not to mention the desserts: the beignets, apple fritters appreciated by both young and old, the stars of traditional evenings in the villages. The menestra de l’ano is an ancient snack, the perfect tonic after a hard day working in the field. It is a peasant soup made from dry rye bread moistened with red wine and flavoured with sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
The typical handicrafts of the Ayas area are the sabots a type of wooden clogs which were once largely made in the area by the sabotier masters; today, the Cooperative Li Tsacolé d’Ayas has been established in order to promote this ancient art. The cooperative’s workshop in Antagnod displays a permanent exhibition of sabots ayassini. Inside the workshop, the sabotiers show the visitors the traditional techniques of making the typical local clogs, demonstrating their quality and peculiarities.
How: by car.
Recommended duration: one day.
Recommended period: all year round.
Distance: about 34 km.
A journey to discover the dazzling nature and ancient history of the area; a route to get to know a poor and rustic cuisine which cleverly used the few but nutrient mountain resources.
Discover the mountain community of ‘Walser – Upper valley of Lys’, starting from the charming town of Issime, nestled in a lush, green valley and embellished with the beautiful parish church of San Giacomo with its magnificent facade decorated with frescoes, up until the charming Gaby, crowned by untouched forests and characteristic examples of rural architecture; the entrance to the Walser valley welcomes its visitors with uncontaminated views and tickles their taste buds with the sweet taste of the Toma di Gressoney cheese (in the walser language: Kesch), a high quality, half-fat table cheese made directly in the pasture: together with Fontina and Fromadzo, it is the main sources of pride of dairy production in the Aosta Valley.
Gressoney-Saint-Jean (Greschòney Zer Chilchu) is the main town of the valley and it is famous for the ‘Belle Époque’ atmosphere created by the beautiful holiday residences built in an eclectic, libertine style by the nobility of the Savoy between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the fabulous Savoy Castle which overlooks all, the summer residence of Queen Margherita, wife of King Umberto I of Savoy and not forgetting the Villa Margherita, another building worthy of attention, now the Town Hall.
You experience and breathe a special atmosphere in the Lys valley: echoes and glimpses of the past are skilfully and tenaciously preserved by the local population. The same can be said for Gressoney-La-Trinité (Greschòney Drifaltigkeit), the smaller and more intimate town of the Monte Rosa foothills, with its picturesque Walser buildings scattered around the countryside, for use purely by the Germanic population.
Here you can also delve deeper into the history and culture of the Walser people, who arrived from German-speaking Switzerland between the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century and then deeply rooted themselves into the valleys between the Aosta Valley and Piedmont.
Among the various traditions of the town, both the names of the dishes and their preparation are strongly influenced by the Germanic culture. In addition to the more traditional soups of bread, potato, rice and leaks, there are two first course dishes which are absolutely delectable: the Chnéfflene, small balls of batter (flour, water, milk, egg) cooked in boiling water and served with melted cheese, sour cream and speck ham or with braised onions, and the Chnolle, dumplings made from corn flour and served as a side to cured meats. In Issime, we also find the Fesillsüppu, a fortifying soup of rice, borlotti beans and toma cheese. The traditional desserts are particularly delicious, mainly prepared during Christmas time, New Year’s Eve, the ‘Carnevale’ season and other important local and family ceremonies: the Kanistri of Issime (called Kanostrelle in Gressoney): delicate thin and crunchy wafers, the Chüjini (fritters); the Chiechene, called Rissili in Issime (similar to an Italian type of angel wings served during the Carnevale season), the Héersiene (heart-shaped wafers), the Hòckiené (fried donut balls), the Pòmpernòsslené (thin, rectangular pastry flavoured with grappa and then fried) and the Schenkeléné (thin, cigar-shaped wafers). During the long and cold winter evenings, find comfort with Rochtio, a delicious spiced, warm red wine, similar to mulled wine.
