Savoleyres descent to Valais vineyards - ski from 2,354m to wine country

How to Complete

4 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. ⛰️ 1

   Ride the New Télémixte Lift to Savoleyres 2,200m

   adventure $$

   This is brand-new infrastructure - a hybrid télémixte lift that combines gondola comfort with chairlift speed, climbing from Verbier (1,500m) to Savoleyres (2,200m) on the SOUTH-FACING slopes. Phase 1 opened winter 2025, Phase 2 completes winter 2026. Why does this matter? South-facing = sunny all day = you can see down the Rhône Valley toward the vineyards while you ride. Buy a day pass (4 Vallées area, around €70-90, 10-15% discount if booked 10+ days ahead) at Les Esserts lift station in lower Verbier and watch the valley unfold below you as you rise. The view transitions from Verbier chalets to brown grass to green valley floor - that's where the wine grows.

   🔄 BACKUP: If you're skiing, take the old Savoleyres gondola or chairlifts. The view is the same, the lift is just slower. Or hike up in summer (2hr+).

   🍷 Log Memory
2. ⛰️ 2

   Ski the South-Facing Slopes Toward Wine Country

   adventure Free

   This is the 'vertical drop wine journey.' You start at Savoleyres summit (2,200m) on snow, ski through 13 runs covering 41km, and watch the landscape transition: white snow → brown grass → green vineyards. Pick any blue or red run on the Savoleyres side facing south toward the Rhône Valley - all runs descend toward wine country. The longest runs end in La Tzoumaz (1,500m) where Valais wineries are just down the valley. Ski down slowly and LOOK - stop halfway down, turn around, and you'll see Verbier above you and vineyards below you. That's the money shot.

   🔄 BACKUP: If you don't ski, ride the lift down in summer and walk the lower sections. Or just stand at the top and trace the line from snow to vines with your eyes. The geography tells the story.

   🍷 Log Memory
3. 🍷 3

   Locate the Steepest Vineyards in Valais from Above

   Optional

   wine Free

   You're looking for Fully - home to the STEEPEST vineyards in the world (90% gradient = 42 degrees). These terraced vineyards grow Petite Arvine and Humagne Rouge on slopes so steep that terraces are sometimes SMALLER than their supporting walls - 30 vines per terrace. From Savoleyres summit or mid-station, face south toward the broad Rhône Valley and use binoculars if you have them. The terraced vineyards are on the valley slopes southeast of La Tzoumaz - you're looking for horizontal lines (the terraces) on hillsides. The vertical drop from where you stand to where Petite Arvine grows is the same as skiing the Bec des Rosses. Except the vines do it every day.

   🔄 BACKUP: If visibility is bad, just know that you're skiing ABOVE the steepest vineyards in the world. Ask any skier or lift operator: 'Where are the Fully vineyards?' If they point southeast down the valley, you're golden.

   🍷 Log Memory
4. 🍷 4

   Taste Fendant at La Marmotte Restaurant Mid-Mountain

   wine $$

   Fendant (Valais Chasselas) is THE wine for Alpine dining - light, crisp, thirst-quenching, with delicate acidity that balances cheese and prevents protein clumping (yes, really - it stabilizes the fondue emulsion). Ski or ride the lift to La Marmotte restaurant (mid-mountain, Savoleyres sector) with sunny south-facing slopes and views of Verbier town. Order 'Fendant, s'il vous plaît' and a plate of raclette or fondue. Sit on the terrace if it's sunny, look down at the Rhône Valley where this wine came from, then look up at Verbier where you started. You're in the middle - the sweet spot where Swiss farmers have poured this wine for 500+ years.

   🔄 BACKUP: If La Marmotte is full, any Savoleyres mountain restaurant will have Fendant. It's the default white wine in Valais - you can't escape it, and you shouldn't try.

   🍷 Log Memory