CAVE DES AMANDIERS By ALEXANDRE DELETRAZ - VITICOLTURA EROICA

USPA NEWS - The vineyards of Valais account for a third of the total wine-production in Switzerland. They extend over a hundred kilometers along the river Rhône. The favourable, sunny and dry climate, as well as the diversity of soils, account for the amazing richness of unique wines that the Valais...

The vineyards of Valais account for a third of the total wine-production in Switzerland. They extend over a hundred kilometers along the river Rhône. The favourable, sunny and dry climate, as well as the diversity of soils, account for the amazing richness of unique wines that the Valais produces from a wide range of grape varieties. The canton of Valais is a Paradise for the wine-lovers. Protected by the barrier of the Alps, the Canton of Valais has by far the driest climate of all of the Swiss wine-producing regions.

The Foehn, a warm wind that accelerates the grapes' maturation, is also an important climatic factor. The great diversity of soils in Valais is due to the combination of geological upheavals, receding glaciers and alluvial deposits of the Rhône and the Alps torrents. Dry-stone walls have supported the terraced vineyards for Centuries. Over the decades, however, the old native varieties such as Amigne, Cornalin, Humagne, Petite Arvine and Rèze gave way to others that were more fashionable at the time.... Here comes Alexandre DELETRAZ a Local Winemaker, originally coming from Geneva with a real passion for Wines, proposing four types of Wines : White Red, Patchy, AOC Valais.

La Cave des Amandiers was created in the City of Saillon in 2008 to become one of the youngest wineries in the Valais. All started with the wish of Alexandre DELETRAZ to make great wines out of exceptional Terroirs, to reveal the best qualities of local grapes in an authentic environment and to allow the wine the time to grow in the cool, darkness and quiet of the cellar. The vines are maintained manually because of the complicated topography of steep slopes (52 ha) consisting of small terraces ranging from 450 to 900 m. altitude. The production is low and adapted to the strength of each parcel to ensure good concentration of flavors and grape polyphenols.

Traditional grape varieties are grown in many parts of the world, but in Valais their special identity contributes to their attractiveness. Twenty years ago the Valais Government put in place a very interesting programme designed to encourage and preserve the diversity of the grape varieties in the canton....

Source : Alexandre DELETRAZ Founder & CEO of La Cave des Amandiers. Guided Tour & Wine Tasting.

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