VALAIS (SWITZERLAND) - Producing Wines & Delights For Generations by Tradition

USPA NEWS - The remarkable feature of Valais is in its extraordinary mix of soil types, sun exposure and micro-climates : in short, its terroirs. Tourists can enjoy walking tours through vineyards perched on towering dry stone walls, wine tastings, visits of museums or wine cellars, creating for you...

The remarkable feature of Valais is in its extraordinary mix of soil types, sun exposure and micro-climates : in short, its terroirs. Tourists can enjoy walking tours through vineyards perched on towering dry stone walls, wine tastings, visits of museums or wine cellars, creating for you the ideal experience on the theme of the wine.... You have the chance to meet men and women who have a passion for wine and local diversity.

FARINET VINEYARD : the smallest vineyard of the world with its three wine stocks dedicated to the bandit and 'Robin Hood of the Alps', Joseph-Samuel Farinet. Situated on 1.6 square metres of land, it is owned by the Dalai Lama and tended by prominent figures such as Claudia Cardinale, Roger Moore, Zinédine Zidane, Caroline de Monaco, Barbara Hendricks ... The Farinet path, through the village of Saillon, takes visitors on a spiritual journey that leads to a better understanding of human values. Joseph-Samuel Farinet spent many of his 35 years on the run, wanted by the authorities for producing counterfeit coins, which he distributed among the poor.

In 1980, in occasion of Farinet´s hundredth birthday a group which called themselves “˜Farinet´s Friends´ acquired a vineyard lot nearby Saillon where their hero is buried, measuring some 1.6 square metres making it thus the arguably smallest vine yard in the world. The wine is stretched out as a cuvée with other wines up to the quantity sufficient for 1,000 bottles. These bottles are sold at high price donating the proceeds to charity. The first honorary owner of the Farinet vineyard was one of the founders of “˜Farinet´s Friends´, Jean-Louis Barrault, the very actor who represented the forger in the 1938 movie. When he died in 1994, this honour was awarded to the famous Pierre Abbé, in 1999 the Dalai Lama succeeded him.

The smallest vineyard of the world is also the last station of a walking route in memory of Farinet. The route starts at Place Farinet meandering up over three kilometres to the vineyard in Saillon. Twenty-one glass-stained panels on vertical steel beams speak of aspects of Farinet´s life which, at the same time, address everybody with the universality of the topics : invitation, love, silence, friendship, death, immortality. The panels are made of glass, that is why the route took the name “˜Route of the glass sculptures´. They weigh between a couple of hundreds of kilo and a whole ton!

GLACIER WINE : originated in the Val d´Anniviers, a valley south of Sierre/Siders. Grimentz glacier wine is a legend that can only be tasted in Grimentz village wine cellars. The story behind glacier wine is extremely simple: the casks are never completely emptied and each year new wine is added. The oldest drops can be over 125 years old... The 'Glacier Wine' cannot be bought, it is only savoured in the cellars of the Anniviers, drawn directly from the barrel. Unless you know a resident of the Val d´Anniviers who is prepared to share a glass from their personal reserves.

The famous Bishop´s Barrel concerns a wine in larch-wood barrel dating from 1886. Once destined exclusively for the Bishop, it is now also served to VIP guests on special occasions.... So, nowadays, wine is not just another way of attracting visitors, it´s an art in itself, one of the pleasures of daily life. So it´s natural that the region has, over time, developed a considerable number of offers related to wine and wine-tasting.

Source :
* Guided Tour Farinet Vineyard + Walking Route in memory of Farinet.
* Tasting of Glacier Wine + Cheese of The Dead (Cheese made in honor of a Family Member and eaten when the person dies. A long time tradition.

Ruby BIRD
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Yasmina BEDDOU
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www.suisse.com - www.valais.ch - www.tgv-lyria.com (Paris - Switzerland, 20 daily return tickets, one way at 29 Euros with up to 3 months ahead booking) - Swiss Travel System Tickets for Foreign Tourists (www.suisse.com/swittravelsystem).