Valle d'Aosta

This alpine region in the far northwest corner of Italy has the country's smallest wine production. The landscape is dominated by the peaks and glaciers of Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc) and numerous rivers, the most important of which is the Dora Baltea. The climate is cold, but in certain micro-zones also provides outstanding conditions for winegrowing. Vines are planted almost exclusively on steep sloping clay moraine, at altitudes which go from 300 metres to 1,000 metres above sea level.

All the wines of the region's 900 hectares of vineyard are collected, with stipulation of the cèpage, under the single Valle d'Aosta DOC. Low yields and premium varieties, from the Piemontese Nebbiolo, Moscato and Dolcetto to local grapes such as Torrette, Gamay, Petite Arvine and Petit Rouge, combine to give wines which, after years of inconsistency, are now of regularly high quality.