Wine: Arvier, Avise, Introd, Saint-Pierre, Valgrisenche, Villeneuve

A legend tells of two wayfarers who, passing through Arvier and arrived in the parish, asked to see the priest; the priest housekeeper replied that it was not possible because the curate was in “hell”. In reality, she referred to the Enfer vineyards, the magnificent natural amphitheater located on the left bank of the Dora Baltea and so called because it is exposed in full sun, to the south, with a very hot microclimate, despite the altitude of 800 meters.
Viticulture in Arvier has roots far back in time; documents attest as early as 1312 the possession of vineyards by the inhabitants of the place.
Heir to this tradition, the Co-Enfer cooperative winery was founded in 1975. Today it manages the entire wine-making process, from the cultivation of the 5 hectares of land, conferred by more than 100 members, to the marketing of the approximately 35.000 bottles produced every year adding the five labels: Enfer, Clos, Digne du Pape, Mayolet and Triskell.
In the cellar, an original reinterpretation of traditional mountain architecture, the grapes are processed according to traditional methods but with the help of modern technologies.
Intense, full-bodied, Enfer d’Arvier was among the first Valle d’Aosta wines to obtain the DOC Denomination, in 1972. It is a red wine made in purity with grapes of the autochthonous Petit rouge grape which, if necessary, can be integrated, up to a maximum of 15%, with 5 other grapes.
Since 2016, the Triskell (brut classic method sparkling wine) has been produced with the native Mayolet grape variety and rests with the yeasts in the bottle for a period ranging from 36 to 48 months, before disgorgement and marketing.
For some years now, winemakers who are not equipped for production have been able to bring their grapes to the cooperative which takes care of the winemaking, bottling, packaging and storage operations against payment of the service.

Products

Wines Enfer, Clos, Digne du Pape, Mayolet e Triskell.

For the opening hours of the wine store please contact the company by telephone or email.

Visit

The company is open all year round for visits and tastings, from Monday to Saturday, upon reservation. According to the customer’s needs there are different typologies of tastings, booking is required.  

Spoken languages: Italian, French and English.

How to get there

From Aosta, take national road 26 in the direction of Courmayeur until the village of Arvier (17 km). After the Hotel Le Clou, on the right, leave the national road at the railway station sign and follow the signs for the Co-Enfer.
Coming from the Mont Blanc Tunnel, after the Arvier roundabout go through a wide right curve and turn left at the sign of the railway station. Then follow the signs for the Co-Enfer.
Parking stall for buses 300 meters from the cellar.

The Thomain winery is based in the small village of Arvier, about 14 kilometers from Aosta, and consists of two hectares of vineyards on the right side of the Dora Baltea, called, since ancient times,by the French name for “hell” - enfer - due to the high temperatures and aridity of the soil that the peculiar exposure and orographic conformation give it.
A unique DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin) wine is born here for its characteristics and organoleptic properties, called the Enfer.
The history of the Thomain company begins in 1920 with Giuseppe and continues with the later generations, with his son Maurizio and now with his grandson Danilo.
The Thomain winery is completely family-run.

The products
Red DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Enfer d’Arvier DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin)

The visit
The company can be visited all year round, upon reservation one week in advance by phone or email (maximum 50 people).It is possible to visit the winery and the charming vineyards, with tastings of the typical Enfer wine.

Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
Via the A5 motorway, exit Aosta Ovest, towards the municipality of Aymavilles, take SS 26 for about 14 km.

The company is located on the edge of the Gran Paradiso National Park, at the entrance to the Rhêmes and Valsavarenche Valleys.
The winery led by Marco Martin is characterized by a great passion for the cultivation of the vineyard which is typical of the Valdostan vignerons.
Production has gone from the initial 1.000 to the current 60.000 bottles, thanks to the cultivation of vineyards located in various municipalities of Valle d’Aosta at an altitude ranging from 550 to 900 metres.
The range of wines is quite vast, but the winery has grown thanks to its Pinot gris.
On the one hand, the Valle d’Aosta territory - with its variety of soils, exposures and altitudes - allows the cultivation of different vines; on the other hand, the desire to experiment involves the planting of new vineyards and therefore the production of numerous labels of wine.
The important awards achieved over the years suggest that we are working in the right direction and encourage us to further improve our work, both in the vineyard and in the winery.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Vallée d’Aoste Pinot Gris, Vallée d’Aoste Pinot Gris élevé en barriques, Vallée d’Aoste Gewürztraminer, Vallée d’Aoste Muscat Petit Grain, Vallée d’Aoste Petite Arvine
Red DOC wines: Vallée d’Aoste Gamay, Vallée d’Aoste Nus, Vallée d’Aoste Pinot Noir, Vallée d’Aoste Rouge Coteau Barrage, Vallée d’Aoste Fumin
Other wines: Mistigri white wine and Heritage red wine

Point of sale: times to be agreed by telephone or e-mail.

The visit
The winery can be visited all year round upon reservation by e-mail, telephone or online. Minimum 2 people, maximum 40. It is possible to visit the winery and taste a selection of the company's wines paired with typical products - the list is available on the website of the company.
Costs of tastings:
CLASSIQUE
Tasting of 3 wines: € 15.00 per person
DECOUVERTE
Tasting of 6 wines: € 25.00 per person
AMUSE BOUCHE
Tasting of 6 wines with a platter of typical Aosta Valley products: € 30.00 per person
GOURMET
Tasting of 8 wines accompanied by a traditional Aosta Valley dish, minimum 10 people: € 55.00 per person

Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Coming from the A5 motorway, take the Aosta Ovest exit. Take state highway 26 towards Courmayeur. Just after Villeneuve, take the fork for Introd. The company is located after 1.5 km.

La Source was founded in 2003, by the will of some young farmers, with some experience in the agricultural field and especially, in that of wine. Currently the company is owned by the Celi - Cuc family and Stefano Celi is its soul. Born in 1971, he got a diploma (agriculturalist) from the Salesian Institute of Lombriasco, and for generations his family has devoted themselves to agriculture in Valle d’ Aosta.
The company extends for about 7 hectares that have been invested in specialized DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) vineyards. The owner takes care of the vineyards and he chooses the best agronomic techniques in order to have vineyards that best express their potential.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Chardonnay, Petite Arvine and Rosé (Ensemblo)
Red DOC wines: Torrette, Cornalin, Gamay, Torrette Supérieur and Syrah
Furthermore, a “Charmant” sweet wine and an aromatized wine “Vin du Paradis”, two types of grappa and a bitter “Amaro Aosta” are produced.

A sales point is open from Monday to Saturday at the following times: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm.

The visit
Behind one of the most beautiful and famous castles in the Aosta Valley, you can visit the processing rooms, the cellar and the vineyards located in the best wine-growing areas of the valley in the municipalities of Quart, Aosta, Sarre, Saint-Pierre, Aymavilles and Villeneuve.
The company can be visited all year round upon reservation, by calling +39 0165 904038 or by email by writing to info@lasource.it at least two days before the scheduled date for the visit. It is also possible to make reservations for tasting sessions.
Price for the tasting: 20-50 € per person.
Number of visitors: max. 30 people.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
From the Aosta Ovest motorway exit, take the State Highway towards Courmayeur. Once in Saint-Pierre, shortly after the pharmacy, take the road that climbs up to the right for about 100 m and then again,at the crossroads, go to the right for another 50 m, the company is on the right.

The company, founded in 1997, now produces 10 DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines and is on the market with 35.000 bottles.
The Château Feuillet wine-producers’ co-operative draws its origins from a winemaking tradition based on the production of wine for family consumption.
The renewal of the vineyards and the expansion of the company mean that we go from 5.000 m² to 25.000 m² of planted vineyards.
The cellar for the process of transformation, located on the Château Feuillet property, was expanded in 2015, with large spaces for processing and cutting-edge technology.
A new tasting room is ready to welcome you in all the warmth of the hospitality of the Valle d’Aosta vignerons.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: White Moscato DOC, DOC Chardonnay, DOC Petite Arvine, DOC Gewurztraminer
Red DOC wines: DOC Fumin, DOC Pinot Nero, DOC Syrah, DOC Torrette Supérieur, DOC Torrette, DOC Cornalin
Other products: Jaline (Moscato and Arvine), straw wine, classic method (Chardonnay and Arvine) 24 months

Sales point open all day, every day directly in the winery.

The visit
It is possible to visit the winery and the vineyards to discover all the stages of wine production: from harvesting to pressing, from fermentation to bottling, until ageing. It is also possible to have tastings everyday from 10am to 6pm.
Tasting cost per person (wine and typical products): 25 € per person.
The company can be visited every day with at least one day’s notice.
Number of visitors required for a visit visit: max 25 people.
Languages: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Aosta Ovest exit (towards Monte Bianco), take the direction towards Courmayeur, 2 km from Saint-Pierre leaving the village.

The Cantina Di Barrò by Rini Elvira Stefania is a family-run wine grower whose production is around 18.000 – 20.000 bottles per year. The company, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2019, has been managing the entire supply chain independently and for three generations: from planting the vineyards to marketing the wine.
The name of the company Di Barrò in the local dialect literally means ‘from barrels/of the barrels’ and refers to wooden barrels with a characteristic shape, belonging to the Valle d’ Aosta tradition which were used in the past to take the grapes squeezed by hand directly in the vineyard to the winery, as well as for the transportation of the wine for sale. Furthermore, the word barrò also summarizes the origins of the company because it is an acronym of the first letters of the surnames BARmaz and ROssan, former owners and in-laws of the current owner who, in the 1960s, continued the cultivation of the family vineyards and were among the first to boast the certification of Denomination of Controlled Origin Valle d’Aosta Torrette.
Since 2004 the company has been based in Château Feuillet, in the municipality of Saint-Pierre, and the vineyards extend for about three hectares mainly in Saint-Pierre, but also in the neighboring municipalities of Villeneuve, Sarre and Aymavilles. There is quite a wide range of wines produced, despite the size of the company.

The products
White DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Chardonnay Vda (Valle d’Aosta) DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), Petite Arvine Vda DOC, Pinot Gris Vda DOC
Red DOP wines: Petit Rouge Vda DOC, Torrette Vda DOC, Torrette Supérieur Vda DOC, Torrette Supérieur OSTRO Vda DOC, Fumin Vda DOC, Mayolet Vda DOC, Syrah Vda DOC
Other wines: Lo Flapì (wine from overripe grapes), Mirliflor (Classic Method Spumante)

There is a sales point at the company - opening times to be arranged by phone or by email.

The visit
The family-run business allows you to visit both the winery and the vineyards, with the possibility of tasting and buying wines during the visit.
In addition to the wines, the tastings also include typical products of the Aosta Valley.
The company can be visited all year round. A reservation in advance is required and can be made by phone or email.
Number of visitors required for a visit: max 20 people.
Languages spoken: Italian, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

How to get there
A5 Turin-Courmayeur motorway, Aymavilles / Saint-Pierre exit. Take the Statale (State Highway) 26 towards Courmayeur up to km 111; as soon as you pass the petrol station, turn right and leave the “Strada Statale”, and then turn immediately left (road sign: Château Feuillet); skirting a wall for a few tens of meters you will come to a gate, which is always open, and which leads to a slightly uphill dirt path; after about 150 meters on the right is the Di BarròWinery.

The company was born from the idea of ​​two friends, Ennio and Luigi, who find themselves after a long time united by a great passion for the land. Together with their children, Nicola and Stefano Di Francesco, who have other professions in life, and Jean Gasperi, who had never produced wine in his life, have recovered uncultivated lands and transformed them into splendid vineyards that produce an excellent niche wine. The vineyard is completely cultivated on terraces, even very impervious, and the work is done entirely by hand. A hectare and a half of vineyards surmount the priory of Saint-Pierre. A nice curiosity: each portion of land has been given a proper name.

Watch the video!

Products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Petite Arvine
Red DOC wines: Planchettes (blend Petit Rouge 50% – Pinot Noir 50%), Fumin (100%)

Visit
Visits are available all year round upon reservation to be made by phone or by email.
The owner Stefano Di Francesco accompanies visitors through the vineyards and in the tasting room.
A minimum number of participants is not required.
Cost of the visit + tasting: € 20 per person,
Spoken languages: Italien and French.

How to get there
The head office is located in the centre of Saint-Pierre, along the national road SS 26, in front of the pharmacy. Coming from the A5, exiting the motorway at Aosta Ovest - Saint-Pierre, head towards Courmayeur, finding the company about two kilometres ahead.

The Le Grain farm, founded in 2012 is a new family-run business, it grows on the foundation of experience handed down in the family, focusing on the quality of the wine produced. The desire to re-immerse ourselves in the vines came to life in 2006, while renovating old vineyard lands on our property that were planted in 1965 by our uncle.
Over the years, the expansion of the company passed from 1600 m² to 10.000 m² of planted vineyards, with a production of about 5.000 bottles per year.
The company also produces and sells retail fruit and vegetables.

Watch the video regarding the pressing of Petit Rouge!
Watch the video regarding the bottling of Torrette!

The products
White DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Petite Arvine
RedDOP wines: Torrette, Petit Rouge

The sales point is open everyday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. - other times to be arranged by telephone.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited all year round upon reservation at least one day in advance by contacting the owner (Claudio Berthod) by phone.
It is also possible to have wine tastings with typical local products.
Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
From state highway 26 immediately after the last Eni petrol station in Saint-Pierre, turn right, then left and then right again; continue on the dirt road for 100 metres.

After a long family tradition in the wine sector, the company was officially founded in 2017. With the aim of making the most of the vineyards located in the historic area of Torrette in Saint-Pierre, exclusively red wines are produced for a total of about 9.000 bottles per year. The plots of land are located at an altitude between 750 and 850 meters above sea level, set among the rocks, on very poor and predominantly sandy soil and with a southern exposure.

The products
Red DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Syrah VDA DOP, Torrette Supérieur VDA DOP, Fumin VDA DOP, Pinot noir VDA DOP
Other wines: Bouquet (red wine)

The visit
The vineyards can be visited and tt is possible to have tasting sessions.
The company can be visited all year round, upon phone reservation.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Once you reach the castle of Saint-Pierre, continue and turn first right and then immediately left, continue straight on for about 200 m and at the stop sign, go straight on to your destination.

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.