Cave du Chevalier - family winery ON the Crans-Montana slopes since 1958

Cave du Chevalier sits directly on the Crans-Montana slopes - a family winery where you can taste Fendant, Petite Arvine, and Cornalin steps from the ski lifts. Third generation Stéphane Pont makes wine from vines that grow at 800-1000m elevation. The highest-altitude winemaking in Valais with zero pretension. Walk in wearing ski boots, walk out understanding Valais terroir.

What to do there

3 things to do

1. 1 Hunt a Family Winery on the Slopes Wine · Price: low

   Sierre is Switzerland's wine capital with hundreds of small producers. Many family wineries are ON the slopes below Crans-Montana, making wine from vines at 800-1,000m altitude — high-altitude viticulture. In Sierre (10 min drive below Crans-Montana), look for small family wineries like Cave Jean-Marie Pont (founded 2006, 4 hectares in Sierre/Corin/Chalais) or Cave du Chevalier Bayard (founded 1975 in Varen by the Bayard family, now run by Joël Bayard). These aren't fancy tasting rooms; they're working cellars where you can walk in wearing ski boots in winter and be welcomed. Drive or take the funicular to Sierre, ask locals: 'Where can I taste wine from a family producer?' or look for small signs that say 'Cave' (cellar) or 'Dégustation' (tasting). Walk in, say 'Bonjour,' and ask to taste Fendant, Petite Arvine, or Humagne Rouge. Most charge €5-10 for a tasting flight.

   Backup: If you can't find a small cave, go to Château de Villa (780 wines from 120 producers, all at cellar prices). You'll taste the same wines, just in a more formal setting.

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2. 2 Find the Funicular That Cut Travel from 4 Hours to 1 History · Free

   Before 1911, getting from Sierre's vineyards to Crans-Montana took 4 HOURS by mule. The funicular cut it to 1 hour, transforming Crans-Montana from a remote alpage into a resort. At the funicular station in Sierre (connects to Crans-Montana, built 1911), this 113-year-old infrastructure linked wine valley to mountain resort — and made it possible for tourists to visit wineries below and ski above in the same day. Ride the funicular (even if you drove) and look out the window as you ascend — you'll see the vineyards give way to ski slopes around 1,500m. That's the wine-to-snow transition line. Imagine doing this on a mule for 4 hours.

   Backup: Just look at the funicular from outside and read the plaque (usually at the station) explaining its 1911 construction. The engineering for that era was remarkable.

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3. 3 Taste Wine Made at 800-1000m Altitude Wine · Price: low

   Most wine is grown at 200-600m altitude. Valais vines grow at 800-1,000m — the highest in Switzerland. The altitude creates a MASSIVE diurnal temperature shift: hot days (300 days of sun/year in Sierre) and cold nights (alpine air). At any Sierre-area winery, ask specifically for wines from HIGH-ALTITUDE vineyards (above 800m). This preserves acidity while building sugar, creating wines with tension and freshness despite the sun exposure. Ask the winemaker or staff: 'Which of your parcels are highest in altitude?' Then taste that wine. Notice the acidity — it's brighter than you'd expect from such a sunny region. That's altitude working.

   Backup: If they don't specify altitude, just taste Petite Arvine — it's a high-altitude specialist (first recorded 1602, citrus/saline finish). The grape itself tells the altitude story.

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