Valais has always produced vin de terroir varietals. Despite (or perhaps because of) the large number of grape varieties grown here, each variety has always been harvested, vinified and bottled separately, with the exception of Dôle, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay.

Only in the last ten years or so have the region’s winemakers begun to experiment with the creation of a few red and white blends, mostly aged in oak, for it has always been the custom in Chamoson to emphasize the authentic personality of each varietal and terroir. However, while it may be true that blending disguises the nature of each component, the goal of an assemblage is to create something completely new with balance and complexity that exceed what each varietal can offer individually.

In Chamoson, as is the case generally throughout Valais, there are two categories of wine: open wines and bottled wines.

If you order a ballon of red or white wine (or simply ask for a rouge or blanc) in one of the village cafés, especially around happy hour, you will automatically be served a decilitre of Fendant or Dôle. These are “open wines”, said to be of “litre quality” and packaged in tenth-of-a-litre units.

Patrons of such cafés are also in the habit of ordering a “wine of the month”, which is a superior wine selected by the owner and said to be of “bottle quality”. Such wines are also served by the decilitre.

The full range of Valais wines is available as “bottled wines”. This includes varietals and blends, whether aged in barrels or stainless steel tanks, which are bottled and usually sealed with corks. Ageing in oak barrels has been back in fashion for about the last twenty years.

Quality Assurance

Chamoson’s wine producers have turned away from mass production to adopt a quality approach targeting authentic wines that reflect the high standards of the commune’s magnificent vineyards.

Chamoson has become a hotbed of talented winemakers, a veritable enological Ali Baba’s cave. The region produces more than 800 different wines of extraordinary diversity and quality. Take a tour of this exciting product offering.

CHAMOSON’S GRANDS CRUS: STEPPING FORWARD

The largest winegrowing commune in Valais deserves to have Grand Cru appellations. The initial efforts to establish such a classification system were taken twenty years ago by Viti 2000, which carried out an empirical study in order to prepare a map of the vineyards and a plan showing where each variety is planted.

Certain winegrowing communes took the initiative to establish their own strictly regulated Grand Cru classification. But if the 69 such communes in Valais were each to adopt separate legislation, consumers would be left to fend for themselves in the ensuing confusion and legal morass. The Valais government therefore decided to draft a cantonal law regulating Grand Cru classification, which was adopted by the Valais State Council at the end of 2005.

In Chamoson, the town council mandated L’Homme et le Vin to deal with the issue and establish Grand Cru classification rules consistent with the cantonal law.

The Foundation set up a commission representing the region’s various winegrowing and winemaking organizations, including the winegrowers’ union, wine merchants, cellar owners, political representatives and the town’s agricultural commission.

The Grand Cru label is intended to encourage continual improvement in quality so that lovers of fine wine have access to superior wines typical of their terroir.

Download the Grand Cru Control Regulations. (PDF format)