Valais Alpine Vineyards

Europe's highest vineyards — some at 1,150m elevation. Romans planted vines in this Rhône valley despite the extreme altitude. Fendant (Chasselas) and Petite Arvine thrive here. The mountain air and sunshine create wines unlike anywhere else.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Stand Where Caesar Stopped 370,000 People History · Free

   The Roman amphitheatre in Martigny is where the Gallic Wars actually began — not in Gaul, but in this valley.

   Where: Roman Amphitheatre, Martigny (Octodurus), 30km west of Sion along the Rhône. From Sion take the A9 motorway west; the amphitheatre is signposted in central Martigny, a 5-minute walk from the train station.

   What: In 58 BC, Julius Caesar stood near this exact bend in the Rhône and destroyed the bridge at Geneva — 80km downstream — to stop the Helvetii tribe from crossing. These 370,000 people (their own census recorded 263,000 commoners plus 92,000 warriors) had spent THREE YEARS preparing their migration westward. Caesar spent 15 days pretending to consider their request while his engineers built 30km of fortifications along the riverbank. When he finally said no, it triggered the Gallic Wars — 8 years, 58–50 BC. The amphitheatre you're standing in was built 150 years later, during Emperor Trajan's reign, on the same ground the Helvetii called home. Capacity: 5,400 people. Oval: 75.5 × 63.7 metres. It still hosts Combat de Reines (fighting cows) and open-air cinema today.

   How: Free to walk the ruins any time. Guided tours run every Friday from June to end of September — reservation required via Martigny Tourism (+41 27 720 49 49). Budget 45 minutes.

   Backup: If you skip Martigny entirely, visit the Roman inscriptions in Sion's town hall (free) or the bath complex excavations visible under the foundations of St-Théodule church.

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2. 2 Climb the Hill Where 600 Years of Music Still Sounds History · Free

   The Valère Basilica sits on a hill that was sacred before Caesar was born. Inside: the world's oldest playable organ, built when Joan of Arc was still alive.

   Where: Basilique de Valère, Sion — the hill on the left as you look south from the city centre. From Sion's old town, follow Rue des Châteaux uphill; 15-minute walk, 367ft of elevation gain. GPS: 46.23376, 7.36428.

   What: This hill was Celtic before it was Roman, Roman before it was Christian. The basilica's foundations rest on a site mentioned in documents since 1000 AD, but archaeological evidence puts human presence here before that. The church itself was built from 1100 to 1267. But what you're really here for is the organ. Built between 1431 and 1437 — the same decade Joan of Arc was burned at the stake — it has 180 original medieval pipes still producing sound. Not restored replicas. The actual medieval metal, still vibrating. The instrument was forgotten and unplayable for centuries; in the 1960s experts brought it back to life. Since 1969 the International Ancient Organ Festival has played it every July for 20 consecutive days. Stand in the nave and feel what music felt like in 1437.

   How: Entry to the nave is free. Hours: June–September 10h–18h, October–May Tuesday–Sunday 10h–17h. Guided tours of the choir with the organ: June–September Monday–Saturday at 11h, 12h, 14h, 16h, and Sunday at 14h and 16h. Full museum ticket (includes Valais Art Museum and Nature Museum): CHF 14 adults, CHF 7 seniors/children.

   Backup: If the basilica is closed for a service, walk the 10 minutes across to Tourbillon Castle ruins on the opposite hill (free, same hours). Both hills together tell the story — Valère was the church, Tourbillon was the bishops' fortress.

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3. 3 Taste the Only Wine That Scores 100 Points on 54 Litres Wine · Price: moderate

   Petite Arvine exists almost entirely in this one valley. In 2023, Marie-Thérèse Chappaz's version became the first Swiss wine ever awarded a perfect 100 points by Robert Parker — and only 54 litres were made.

   Where: Domaine du Mont d'Or, Rue de Savoie 64, Pont-de-la-Morge (western entrance to Sion). GPS approx. 46.2236, 7.3139. This is the oldest winemaking estate in Valais — founded 1848, 220 terraces on 24 hectares.

   What: Petite Arvine is genetically unique. Not related to any other grape on earth — DNA analysis has confirmed zero kinship. It grows in 99.7% of its global plantings right here in Valais, because only here do the conditions work: altitude, glacier-cold nights, the Foehn wind burning off moisture, the valley's particular soils. The wine tastes of grapefruit, rhubarb, and — this is real — iodine salt. That salt note comes directly from the valley floor. Marie-Thérèse Chappaz (Fully, 30km west) made 54 total litres of her 2020 Grain par Grain Petite Arvine. Robert Parker gave it 100 points in 2023 — the first perfect score for any Swiss wine, ever. She charges 400 CHF per 37.5cl half-bottle. To order a future vintage you must first buy several bottles of her Fendant. The wine is rationed by loyalty. At Mont d'Or you can taste their own Petite Arvine and Johannisberg (Sylvaner) while standing in cellars dating from the 19th century, where wines are still vinified in oak barrels.

   How: Book a tasting via montdor.ch or phone +41 27 346 20 32. Guided tasting with cellar tour: approximately CHF 20–35 per person. The estate also offers their escape game experience ("Le secret des Guérites") combining wine tasting with an outdoor treasure hunt across the 220 terraces — worth booking in advance.

   Backup: Espace Ardévine (downtown Sion, Rue du Rhône) is a wine boutique representing 110+ Valais winemakers — taste any indigenous variety without an appointment.

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4. 4 Scrape the Cheese That Hasn't Changed in 450 Years Wine · Price: low

   Raclette and Fendant together since 1574. The mountain herders' fireside supper, unchanged, with the wine grown in the same valley.

   Where: Cave de l'Adret, village of Champlan — 10 minutes south of Sion (follow D9 direction Grimisuat/Champlan, 500m past the village church on the left). GPS approx. 46.2175, 7.3740.

   What: Raclette has been eaten in this valley since 1574 — cow herders carried wheels of cheese into the mountains, propped them next to campfires, and scraped the molten face onto bread. The word "racler" means to scrape. In 1874 the cheese was officially named raclette. In 1909, the Cantonal Exhibition of Sion promoted it as the national dish of Valais. The wine paired with it has always been Fendant (Chasselas) — not because of sophistication but because it works: the acidity and slight natural effervescence dissolve the fat. At Cave de l'Adret they pour you 4 wines (3 whites including Fendant, 1 red) and serve them with raclette cheese from local producers. Nothing performed about it. You sit, you eat, the cheese comes from the mountain above you.

   How: Open Thursday–Sunday 10:30am–8pm. Wine-and-raclette tasting approximately CHF 25–35 per person. Call ahead for groups: check adret.ch for current pricing.

   Backup: Any restaurant in Sion's old town serves raclette — ask for "raclette du Valais AOP" and a glass of Fendant. Budget CHF 20–30 for a half-wheel of cheese with accompaniments.

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5. 5 Reach the Vineyard Six People Saved from Oblivion Adventure · Price: moderate · Optional

   In 1979, a tourist, a lawyer, a banker, and three winemakers formed a cooperative to rescue Europe's highest vineyard. The vines above 1,100 metres were too steep for any machine — still harvested by hand today.

   Where: St. Jodern Kellerei (cooperative winery), Visperterminen village, 45km northeast of Sion. GPS: 46.27404, 7.88939. From Sion: take the A9 east to Visp (30min), then local road or taxi up to Visperterminen village (15min, steep mountain road).

   What: The Celts grew wine here. Then the vines climbed higher and higher over 2,000 years — to 650m, then 800m, then above 1,000m — until the upper terraces became too hard to reach and were abandoned through the 20th century. By 1979 those high plots stood empty. Six people had the idea to form a cooperative to bring them back. Not wine professionals primarily — a tourist and a lawyer were among the founders. They named their winery St. Jodern Kellerei, built the cellar in 1980, and now have 500+ members producing 400,000 bottles per year. The grape is Heida (Savagnin Blanc) — the same family as Gewürztraminer's ancestor — grown at 650–1,150m altitude where no machine can work the steep stone terraces. All hand-harvested. The wine tastes of apricot and wildflower, with a structural tension you only get from vines that spend cold nights within sight of glaciers.

   How: St. Jodern Kellerei offers individual and group tastings with food pairings. Contact via jodernkellerei.ch to book. Tasting approximately CHF 20–30 per person. If you have time, walk up into the terraced vineyards before tasting — the view down the valley to the Rhône far below is the kind you remember for years.

   Backup: If the drive to Visperterminen is too much, St. Jodern wines are stocked at the Espace Ardévine in Sion — buy a bottle of Heida and drink it on the Tourbillon hill while reading about where it came from.

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