Food & Wine - visit the producers: Aosta, Aymavilles, Charvensod, Gressan, Jovençan

The Ottin winery was founded in the early nineties from the passion of a young farmer for wine and for his land. A passion that comes from afar, inherited from the family, mountain winemakers for generations. In 2007 a new challenge: vinification of the grapes on his own, until then it had been carried out by a local cooperative.
Ottin wines are produced largely from local vines, grown in areas naturally suited to viticulture, where the vine thrives with balance, according to environmentally friendly production techniques.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Petite Arvine Vallée d’Aoste DOC,
Red DOC wines: Pinot Noir Vallée d’Aoste DOC, Torrette Supérieur Vallée d’Aoste DOC, Fumin Vallée d’Aoste DOC.
Other wines:
White wines: Nuance (Petite Arvine)
Red wines: L’Emerico (Pinot Noir)

There is a sales point open upon appointment.

The visit
The company can be visited all year round upon reservation to be made by email or by telephone (Elio Ottin) with a few days’ notice.
The winery offers three tasting experiences (details are available here).
Number of visitors required to visit: min 1 / max 20.
Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
From the centre of Aosta, take the regional highway to Roisan. The company is located about 3 km from the town.

The winery was born out of the dream of bringing the noises, smells and emotions deriving from the transformation of an agricultural production back to the centre of the city of Aosta, within the historic premises of the ancient Mulino della Ressaz.
The great-grandparents Tanteun and Marietta, with their life’s work and their stubbornness, gave their great grandchildren the opportunity to take their first steps in the great and wonderful world of wine.
Tanteun bequeathed the space in which the winery is located, where with foresight he kept the old mill hidden and protected; Marietta passed on her passion for wine and vine cultivation, making her grandson Emiro promise to replant his vineyard in Champagnole, where it all started.
Since 2012, the creators of the company Federico and Alessandra have been cultivating two hectares of old vineyards and transforming the grapes into 10.000 bottles of white and red D.O.C. (Controlled Denomination of Origin).

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: La Tocca, Vallée d’Aoste Muscat Petit grain, Valle d’Aosta Pinot gris “Bizelle”
Red DOC wines: Lo Toque, Valle d’Aosta Pinot noir “R.E.M.”, Valle d’Aosta Pinot noir “R.E.M. X”, Valle d’Aosta Rouge “Farouche”, Valle d’Aosta Rouge “Boheme”

There is a sales point open upon appointment.

The visit
The winery, located in the historic premises of the old Ressaz Mill, can be visited all year round, by reservation, and during the visit it is possible to taste the products.
There is no minimum number of people required, large groups can be split into smaller groups if necessary.

Languages spoken: Italian, French, English and Portuguese.

How to get there
The company is located in a courtyard of the 1700s, opposite the central bus station of Aosta; it can therefore be reached by public transports, by car or on foot.

La Cave inaugurated its production with the 1990 grape harvest.

La Cave des Onze Communes has made it possible right from the start to recover territories doomed to abandonment in time and, thanks to the union of small and medium-sized enterprises, to use the best technologies to produce only high-quality wine, focusing above all on increasing the cultivated area for DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines.
Its vineyards, located in eleven municipalities, cover an area of about 70 hectares, worked by the 160 wine growing members, and they make it possible for the cooperative to produce more than 500.000 bottles every year.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Vigne Alte DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), Chardonnay DOC, Petite Arvine DOC, Pinot Gris DOC, Müller-Thurgau DOC, Traminer Aromatico DOC
Red DOC wines: Syrah DOC, Fumin DOC, Anciens Cépages DOC, Cornalin DOC, Fumin Barrique DOC, Gamay DOC, Pinot Noir Barrique DOC, Torrette DOC, Pinot Noir DOC, Petit Rouge DOC, Torrette Supérieur DOC, Mayolet DOC, Rosé DOC
DOC straw wine: Flétry Muscat Petit Grain DOC
Other products: table wines

Opening of the retail outlet
Monday to Friday from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm.
Saturday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm.
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.
In July, August, September and Christmas holidays open from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm; Sunday from 10 am to 12.30 pm and from 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm.

The visit
The company can be visited all year round upon reservation to be made by email or telephone. The visit to the wine cellar and the vineyards is enriched by a collection of antique equipment of the viticulture in the Aosta Valley. The visit can be followed by a wine tasting, or wines accompanied by local products.
Languages spoken: Italian, French, English and Spanish.

Accessibility
The cooperative is accessible and has a bathroom for disabled people, as well as convenient parking.

How to get there
Aosta Ovest motorway exit; continuing on the regional highway to the Cogne Valley, the Cave des Onze Communes is located to the left of the Aymavilles castle.

The Les Crêtes winery was founded in 1989 by Costantino Charrère and is now managed by his family who, owners of a historic 18th-century water mill and the ancient wineries of Via Moulins, have been involved in the production of agri-food for five generations. The area devoted to the cultivation of vineyards extends for 25 hectares, and the total annual production is 200.000 bottles.
The Rifugio del Vino (Wine refuge) of Les Crêtes was founded in 2016, as an emotional tasting room, next to the historic winery, to which it is structurally connected. The Charrère family opens its doors to enthusiasts who intend to undertake the philosophy and knowledge of the world of Les Crêtes.
Rifugio del Vino, because it lies in the Alps with a reference to the typical high-altitude architecture and because it is a construction designed to protect wine, has an authentic heritage of the mountain terroir. Its profile is reminiscent of a mountain massif, the same that becomes the symbol of Les Crêtes and distinguishes its brand. Under this large covered courtyard there is space for the production of wine and a wine shop, held together by an interesting itinerary for a visit.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Petite Arvine V.d.A.(Valle d’ Aosta) DOC, Chardonnay V.d.A. DOC, Chardonnay Cuvée Bois V.d.A. DOC, Petite Arvine Fleur Valle d’Aosta DOC, Pinot Gris Valle d’Aosta DOC, Neige d’Or Valle d’Aosta DOC
Red DOC wines: Torrette V.d.A. DOC, Pinot Nero V.d.A. DOC, Syrah V.d.A. DOC, La Sabla, Fumin V.d.A. DOC, Merlot Valle d’Aosta DOC, Nebbiolo Sommet Valle d’Aosta DOC
Rosé DOC wines: Rosé Valle d’Aosta DOC

Other wines:
White wine Mon Blanc (blend of native and international white-berried grapes)
Mon Rouge red wine (blend of local and international dark-berried grapes)
Wine from Doré overripe grapes (aromatic variety with white Muscat grapes)
Neblù Brut Rosé - Classic Method Quality Spumante Wine

There is a sales point open from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm and from 2.45 pm to 6.30 pm, Saturday from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm. Closed on Sundays and public holidays, except Sundays of July and August (open from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 3.00 pm to 6.30 pm).

The visit
The company can be visited all year round upon reservation to be made by email or by telephone +39 0165 902274, or on the company website. You can visit the winery and the vineyards. It is also possible to make visits with tastings in the tasting room called “Il Rifugio del Vino”, located in a very suggestive place near a vineyard with a privileged view over the city of Aosta, with the possibility of tasting local cheeses and cured meats, too.
Tasting programms are available on the website.

Languages: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Coming from the A5 motorway, take the Aosta Ovest-St. Pierre exit. Take the state highway 507 keeping to the right at the crossroads, and continue on towards Cogne/Aymavilles until the roundabout of Piazza Chanoux in Aymavilles. At the roundabout, take the 4th exit (direction Gressan) to the village of Ferrière. The company is located 400 m on the right.

The ‘La Borettaz farm’ was established in 2000 to carry on a family tradition which had been alive for centuries in the history of farming in the Aosta Valley. Breeding Aosta Valley red spotted cattle and Aosta Valley brown cattle. The large surface area of the Farm allow to feed the cattle in the best way possible, using the fodder and the hay produced on the farm, all year round.

Products
Milk, DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) Alpine Pasture Fontina, DOP Fontina, Matured cheeses, Toma cheese, Toma cheese flavoured with thyme, chilli, kummel or garlic, Fresh cheeses such as reblec, ricotta, stracchino, mozzarella, Brossa, Butter, Yoghurt and Dessert, fresh meat and sausages. 
The farm has a 24-hour raw milk vending machine.

The point of sale is open every day from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and from 3.30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Visit
The farm can be visited all year round upon reservation by e-mail or telephone (Bisson Fabrizio, Viérin Gabriele or Matthiou Thierry) at least three days in advance.
You will visit the cattle shed, the calf shed, the milk processing room and the cheese maturing room. A final tasting is also available.

For further information about availabilities and prices per person, please contact the owners.
Languages spoken: Italian and French.

Accessibility
All the rooms are on the ground floor, easily accessible even for disabled people in wheelchairs.

How to get there
The farm is located on the regional road for Gressan, two km from Aosta.
Exit the motorway at the Aosta Est toll gate, follow the signs to the Pila ski resort until the junction for Gressan and then carry on for about 1.5 km.

Since 1981 Diego Curtaz has personally been involved in the wine production started by his paternal grandfather. The company covers about 25.000 m² in the territory of the municipality of Gressan: 10.000 m² are used for viticulture and 15.000 m² for orchards. The small size of the company allows for a cultivation on a human scale: manuring with aged manure and fungicidal treatments with integrated pest management methods for a maximum of five treatments per year.
The company makes about fifty hectoliters of red wine available per year; the wines that are produced and bottled in the company are a table wine called “Di meun” and four Valle d’Aosta DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wine: Chardonnay
Red DOC wines: Torrette, Petit Rouge, Gamay
Other products: fruit

There is a sales point open upon telephone booking.

The visit
The winery, the vineyards, the orchards and the production rooms can be visited. Tastings are possible upon payment.
The price of the tasting varies from a minimum of € 5.00 to a maximum of € 15.00 per person, depending on the wines tasted.
The company can be visited all year round via telephone booking (Diego Curtaz) at least 1 day in advance.
Number of visitors required for a visit: The tastings are carried out for a maximum number of 12 people.

Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
The company is located along the regional highway to Gressan, about 3 km from Aosta.

The Clos Blanc farm-wine making company owned by Alberto Blanc is located in the center of the enchanting, mountainous Valle d’Aosta with its hills yet to be discovered; it is located in the municipality of Jovençan, 5 km from Aosta, and is at an altitude of about 600 m. The vineyards are divided up between the municipalities of Jovençan and Aymavilles. Currently, about 30.000 bottles are produced.
The company was founded in 2009 with a production of about 11.000 bottles (previously the grapes were turned over to other producers).
The company has a large parking area (which can also be used for buses) and inside, there is a tasting room where the customers can taste the wines. There is also a facility for overnight stays for those wishing to stay on site.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Vda (Valle d’Aosta) Müller Thurgau DOC, Vda Chardonnay DOC
Red DOC autochthonous wines: VdA Fumin DOC, Vda Petit Rouge DOC, Vda Cornalin DOC
Red non-autochthonous DOC wines: Vda Merlot DOC, Vda Pinot noir DOC
Other wines: Charmat method “Réflì” spumante, “La Toupie” table wine

Sales point on the company premises open by appointment.

The visit
Visits to the winery and vineyards with the possibility of tastings in the tasting room.
The company can be visited every day by reservation, by calling at least 10 days in advance.
Cost of tasting per person: starting from € 5; no charge for the visit alone.
Number of visitors required for a visit: min 6 / max 20 people.
Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
The winery is located in the municipality of Jovençan on the border with the municipality of Aymavilles.
Coming from the municipality of Aymavilles, at the roundabout that also leads to Cogne, take the road towards Jovençan and continue on for about 2.5 km. At the sign indicating the village of Jovençan-Pompiod, about 100 meters further along, on the right, you’ll seea signindicating the winery.
Coming from Aosta, it is necessary to go through the entire village of Jovençan. After about 1 km you will reach some houses (before taking the uphill road leading to the top of alittle hill) on the left, next to a vineyard, there is a sign indicating the Clos Blanc company.