Food & Wine - visit the producers: Aymavilles, Villeneuve, ** Valle d'Aosta **

La Cave inaugurated its production with the 1990 grape harvest.

La Cave des Onze Communes has made it possible right from the start to recover territories doomed to abandonment in time and, thanks to the union of small and medium-sized enterprises, to use the best technologies to produce only high-quality wine, focusing above all on increasing the cultivated area for DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines.
Its vineyards, located in eleven municipalities, cover an area of about 70 hectares, worked by the 160 wine growing members, and they make it possible for the cooperative to produce more than 500.000 bottles every year.

The products

White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Viti Alte DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), Chardonnay DOC, Petite Arvine DOC, Pinot Gris DOC, Müller-Thurgau DOC, Traminer Aromatico DOC
Red DOC wines: Syrah DOC, Fumin DOC, Anciens Cépages DOC, Cornalin DOC, Fumin Barrique DOC, Gamay DOC, Pinot Noir Barrique DOC, Torrette DOC, Pinot Noir DOC, Petit Rouge DOC, Torrette Supérieur DOC, Mayolet DOC, Rosé DOC
DOC straw wine: Flétry Muscat Petit Grain DOC
Other products: table wines

Opening of the retail outlet
From Monday to Saturday: from 9am to 12.30pm and from 2.30pm to 6.30pm
Sunday: from 10am to 12pm and from 3.30pm to 7pm
Please check the website for any changes to opening hours, as these may vary on public holidays. 

The visit

The company can be visited all year round upon reservation to be made by email, telephone or on the website by clicking here. The visit to the wine cellar and the vineyards is enriched by a collection of antique equipment of the viticulture in the Aosta Valley. The visit can be followed by a wine tasting, or wines accompanied by local products.
Spoken languages: Italian, French, English and Spanish.

Accessibility

The winery is accessible and has a bathroom for people with disabilities, as well as convenient parking.

How to get there

Aosta Ovest motorway exit; continuing on the regional highway to the Cogne Valley, the Cave des Onze Communes is located to the left of the Aymavilles castle.

The Didier Gerbelle winery was officially founded in 2006 as a continuation of the family traditions which have their roots at the beginning of the 20th century. Didier, who graduated in oenology in 2006 from the glorious oenological school of Alba, took over the company run first by his paternal grandparents and then by his parents, and embarked on his own along the path of winemaking.
The company has about 2.8 hectares of vineyards and produces grapes that are almost in their entirety the company’s own grapes. The vineyards are located in the municipalities of Aymavilles and Villeneuve. The main vines cultivated are Petit Rouge, Cornalin (Broblanc biotype), Premetta and red-berried Fumin (authoctonous); Pinot Grigio and Gewurztraminer with white-berried grapes.
The vines are grown using the espalier systemby adopting the simple Guyot system and grown on poor and stony soils. Production is very limited and is around 15.000 bottles per year. All of the stages of production, from processing the vineyard to bottling, including subsequent marketing, are followed directly by the owner.
In 2019 Didier Gerbelle acquired the company L’Atoueyo also located in the municipality of Aymavilles, making it possible to increase and diversify the bottles produced.

The products
White DOC (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Jeux de Cepages (blend)
Red DOC wines: Petit Rouge Vigne Plan Valle d’Aosta DOC, Torrette Valle d’Aosta DOC, Torrette Supérieur Vigne Tsancognein Valle d’Aosta DOC, Rouge Peque-na! Valle d’Aosta DOC, Fumin Valle d’Aosta DOC, VDA DOC Gamay, VDA DOC Pinot Nero, VDA DOC Rosé, VDA DOC Rouge L’Ainé

There is a sales point open from Monday to Sunday, from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

The visit
You will visit the winery and the vineyards of the company, which has been family-run since the beginning of the 20th century. It is possible to taste the different wines on offer.
The company can be visited all year round, upon reservation, from Monday to Sunday, from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Coming from the Turin - Aosta highway, take the Aosta Ovest exit. Take the road to Aymavilles - Cogne and continue on to the centre of the town (about 1 Km). The company and a winery are located 200 meters from the main square of Aymavilles; a second winery and the store are located in the hamlet Urbains n. 9.

The Les Crêtes winery was founded in 1989 by Costantino Charrère and is now managed by his family who, owners of a historic 18th-century water mill and the ancient wineries of Via Moulins, have been involved in the production of agri-food for five generations. The area devoted to the cultivation of vineyards extends for 45 hectares, and the total annual production is 250,000 bottles.
The Rifugio del Vino (Wine refuge) of Les Crêtes was founded in 2016, as an emotional tasting room, next to the historic winery, to which it is structurally connected. Elena and Eleonora Cherrère, together with Giulio Corti, open its doors to enthusiasts who intend to undertake the philosophy and knowledge of the world of Les Crêtes.
Since it lies in the Alps with a reference to the typical high-altitude architecture and, thus, it was conceived to protect wine, Rifugio del Vino has an authentic heritage of the mountain terroir. Its profile evokes a mountain massif, the same that becomes the symbol of Les Crêtes and distinguishes its brand. Under this large covered courtyard there is space for the production of wine and a wine shop, held together by an interesting itinerary for a visit.

The products

White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Petite Arvine Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Chardonnay Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Chardonnay Cuvée Bois Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Petite Arvine Fleur Valle d’Aosta DOC, Pinot Gris Valle d’Aosta DOC, Neige d’Or Valle d’Aosta DOC, Chambave Moscato Valle d’ Aosta DOC
Red DOC wines: Torrette Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Torrette Superiore Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Pinot Nero Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Syrah Valle d’ Aosta DOC, La Sabla, Fumin Valle d’ Aosta DOC, Merlot Valle d’Aosta DOC, Nebbiolo Sommet Valle d’Aosta DOC
Rosé DOC wines: Rosé Valle d’Aosta DOC
Other wines: Neblù Brut Rosé, Neblù Brut Nature, Rebàn Pas Dosé

There is a sales point open from Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 7pm; it is also open on Sundays in July, August and September and on public holidays as specified here

The visit

The company offers various tasting experiences, with dedicated itineraries and food and wine pairings, designed to showcase the wines and the territory to their best advantage. Visits and tastings are available on request, which can be made by email, by phone by calling +39 0165 902274 or via the company website.

Tastings take place in the 'Il Rifugio del Vino' room, a welcoming space in a panoramic and particularly evocative location. An intimate and well-kept space, ideal for an authentic experience in contact with the landscape and local wine-making tradition. Detailed programmes of the experiences can be found here.

Spoken languages: Italian, French and English.

How to get there

Coming from the A5 motorway, take the Aosta Ovest-St. Pierre exit. Take the SR 507 keeping to the right at the crossroads, and continue on towards Cogne/Aymavilles until the roundabout of Piazza Chanoux in Aymavilles. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit (direction Gressan) to the village of Ferrière. The company is located 400 m on the right.

From the passion of a woman, Anna De Santis, who, while walking in the vineyards, begins to become familiar with the grapevine, its plant, its leaf until she falls in love with it, a farm was born in 2009 for the production of wine. Almost three hectares of land in Champagnolle, Villeneuve, where Anna manages the cultivation of the vineyards and the wineryby herself. The vineyards are treated in a nearly natural way, to guarantee high-quality products.
Of the four vineyards, that of Pinot Noir is located in a very sunny area with sandy soil. The result is a highly esteemed wine, a very fragrant Pinot Noir with a unique color. Two white wines and one Torrette come from the Müller, Chardonnay and Petit Rouge vineyards, respectively. All wines are single-variety vinifications.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Müller-Thurgau, Blanc
Red DOC wines: Pinot Noir, Torrette

You can buy the products at the winery.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited and it is possible to have tastings.
Cost of the visit/tasting per person: € 10.00
The company can be visited every day upon reservation at any time.
Number of visitors required for a visit: min 4 / max 20 people.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Coming from Aymavilles, the winery is lcoated immediately after the ISA Vivai (Nursery) at the beginning of Villeneuve; arriving from Villeneuve, you can find it towards the end of the town, in the Champagnolle area.

Henri Anselmet founded the La Plantze Agricultural Company after many years spent in the vineyard and in the winery supporting his father Giorgio, of Maison Anselmet. The family history is witness, handed down by generations of men who have linked their life to the land and its fruits. The first certain trace of an Anselmet winemaker is in 1585, through a contract for the purchase of a vineyard in Villeneuve. Since then the passion for making wine has been handed down from generation to generation. In 1978 Renato Anselmet decided to continue the tradition, starting to produce wine not only for his own personal consumption but by laying the foundations for what would become in a few years one of the most important and esteemed wine-producing companies in Valle d’ Aosta.
With La Plantze, founded in 2015, the young Henri started his new adventure in full autonomy, starting out with a very promising vineyard at about 800 meters above sea level, totally managed by him. To the historic vineyard, made up of different types of indigenous vines, other international vines were then added, which brought the production from the initial 5.000 bottles to the current 20.000 bottles, with a forecast of 30,000 for 2020.
La Plantze, in patois dialect (the dialectal variant of the Franco-Provençal language spoken in Valle d’Aosta) means “the parcel”, precisely to indicate how the conformation of the territory obliges the vignerons of this region to manage very fragmented areas of vineyards. Henri’s approach to winery is very personal, based on innovation, and is distinguished by experimentation and the use of special techniques for some of his wines, such as maceration on the skins and the use of amphoras.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Trii Rundin (Pinot Gris)
Red DOC wines: Torrette Supérieur, Vioux (Cornalin 100%)
Other wines:
White wines: Tramontana Pinot gris, Ferox (Sauvignon), Al Mister (Sauvignon and Viognier 50%)
Red wines: El Teemp

The sales point is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm. It is also possible to buy the La Plantze wines at the shop "Lou Tsaven de noutra téra" located in Cogne in rue Doct. Grappein 61.

The visit
You can visit the winery and the vineyards, with the possibility to have wine tastings.
The company can be visited all year round upon telephone booking to be made at least 2 days in advance.
Number of visitors required for the visit: min 2, max 15 people.
Languages: Italian and French.

How to get there
Beyond the village of Saint-Pierre you will find the La Meridiana Hotel. Turn right onto the uphill road. After the first intersection, turn left and, after the bridge, turn right.

The history of Maison Anselmet is not linked to the birth of the company in 2001, but it is a witness handed down by generations of men who have linked their lives to the land and its fruits: it is a story of passion, effort, work, it is the life of the Anselmet family. The first certain trace of an Anselmet winemaker is in 1585 through a contract for the purchase of a vineyard in Villeneuve. From then on, the passion for making wine was handed down from generation to generation, until the end of the seventies.
In 1978 Renato Anselmet, Giorgio’s father, decided to continue the family tradition, but to start producing wine not only for his own personal consumption, thus laying the foundations for what would become in a few years one of the most important and esteemed wine producers in the Aosta Valley: Maison Anselmet. Year after year, the vines were selected, the surface of the vineyards expanded and the production increased in terms of quantity and quality. Technical and technological innovations have been introduced, courageous choices have been made that have transformed a small company into a reference point for viticulture, not only in Valle d’ Aosta. From the 70 bottles bottled by Renato in 1978 with labels made by the same hands that worked the vineyard, Giorgio exceeded 70.000 bottles in 2008.The next milestone, ambitious but soon reachable, will be the 1.000 hectoliters, after the 100.000 bottles of 2015. The most recent date that the Maison engraves in its history is the one linked to the inauguration of the new winery in the village of Vereytaz, a facility that in the area of reception has maintained the values and characteristics of the historical buildings of the valley: recovered ‘old’ wood, ancient stone only brushed, recent wrought iron but respecting the handmade work of local artisans. In the area of production, on the other hand, thanks also to Beppe Caviola’s valuable advice and passionate suggestions, technology reigns: no frills, but all that is needed to optimize procedures and work. And the collaboration with Beppe continues, with great satisfaction, and brings increasingly comforting results.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Main et Coeur, Chardonnay Barrique, Petite Arvine, Chambave Muscat, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, Pinot Gris
Red DOC wines: Semel Pater, Pellerin, Henri, Fumin, Pinot Noir Tradition, Torrette Superieur, Broblan, Rune Brune

The sales point is open from Monday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.

The visit
Each guest will be taken on a tour of the cellar and vineyards, followed by a tasting. There are two tasting sessions to choose from:
Tasting of classic wines: 20 € per person
Tasting of the best crus and reserves: 40 € per person
The company can be visited all year round upon booking to be made at least 2 days in advance. For tastings and visits, fill out the form on the company's website or contact the company by phone.
Number of visitors required: minimum 2, maximum 15 people.

Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
Beyond the village of Saint-Pierre you will find the La Meridiana Hotel. Turn right onto the uphill road. After the first intersection, turn left and, after the bridge, turn right.