Michelin dining overlooking Valais vineyards

Le Pas de l'Ours holds a Michelin star and the region's deepest Valais wine cellar. Chef Franck Reynaud pairs alpine ingredients with wines from the very slopes visible from the dining room. The wine-food connection here is arguably Switzerland's most profound.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Hunt the Riesling Made from 1,000 Bottles a Year Wine · Price: high · Optional

   Gantenbein Grisons Riesling - only 1,000 bottles produced annually from 0.5 acres of vines planted in 1999 on Bündner slate - sits on sommelier Nicolas Lacoste's list at L'Ours restaurant (Route du Pas de l'Ours 41, Crans-Montana). It sells out before bottling EVERY year to long-time customers. If it's on the list tonight, you're witnessing a miracle. Ask Nicolas for it by name (CHF 150-200 per bottle) and taste the crushed stones and lemon juice on shallow slate soil, with that 'stimulating salinity' that only happens at high elevation. Ask: 'Why did you choose THIS Riesling for your cellar?' His answer reveals how cult wines find their way to mountain restaurants.

   Backup: If Gantenbein is out (likely), request a Valais Petite Arvine by the glass (CHF 15-20) - Nicolas's cellar showcases both international legends and local Grand Crus from the vineyards you can see from the dining room.

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2. 2 Find the Dish That Earned Franck Reynaud 'Chef of the Year' Adventure · Price: high

   Deer fillet roasted and smoked on aromatic mountain hay, with horseradish yoghurt, Gruyère ice cream with chestnut honey and Périgord truffles earned Franck Reynaud 'Promu romand de l'année' (French-region Chef of the Year) in 2018 at L'Ours restaurant (1 Michelin star, 18 Gault Millau points). The dish is pure Valais - local deer, mountain hay from Er de Lens pastures at 2,000m, Gruyère from neighboring cantons. Book the Discovery Menu (5-8 courses, CHF 180-240) and when ordering, ask: 'Is the deer fillet with mountain hay available tonight?' It's seasonal (winter), so timing matters. The Gruyère ice cream with chestnut honey sounds insane until you taste the salt-sweet-earthy trinity that defines alpine cuisine.

   Backup: If the deer is out of season, request the suckling lamb or venison casserole with Alba truffles - Franck's repertoire centers on game, and whatever's on menu tonight came from within 50km of this restaurant.

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3. 3 Locate the Vineyards Visible From Your Table Wine · Free

   You're looking at the Coteaux de Sierre AOC terraces 1,000 meters below from L'Ours restaurant's semi-circular panoramic windows - the exact vineyards that produce the Valais wines Nicolas poured you. Stand at the window and COUNT the stone terrace walls - each wall equals a different family's parcel, some dating to medieval times. The funicular you see threading through them brings wine barrels UP to Crans-Montana restaurants and skiers DOWN to valley wine cellars. Ask your server: 'Which vineyard parcels down there supply this restaurant?' They'll point out specific producers - Cave Bonvin in Flanthey, Château de Vaas in Lens, Cave le Tambourin in Corin.

   Backup: If weather blocks the view (fog/snow), ask Nicolas to show you the wine cellar. The Relais & Châteaux property has one of the deepest Valais collections in the region - seeing the bottles with producer names makes the geography real.

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4. 4 Discover Why This Hotel Has a Bear Name History · Free

   'Pas de l'Ours' means 'Bear's Pass' - the mountain passage where bears once migrated between Italy and Switzerland until the 1800s. Hostellerie du Pas de l'Ours sits on this ancient wildlife corridor, built with natural stone and exposed wooden beams. The restaurant L'Ours (The Bear) and Bistrot des Ours continue the legacy. Look for bear imagery - carvings, paintings, design elements in the 5-star Relais & Châteaux property. In the lobby, find the historical photo or plaque explaining the passage, then ask staff: 'When was the last bear sighting on this pass?' The answer connects today's gastronomic temple to the wilderness that created this landscape.

   Backup: If you can't find historical materials, ask about the hotel's 3 rooms, 11 suites, and the legendary Bear Suite with 3 bedrooms - it's the ultimate irony that the region's most exclusive accommodation is named for its fiercest historical predator.

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Insider tips

• The "Valais Discovery" wine pairing showcases grapes most people have never heard of

• Request the cellar tour - it's one of Switzerland's finest collections

• Book months ahead for winter weekends and festival periods