Food & Wine - visit the producers: Nus, Quart, Roisan, Saint-Christophe

This is a small winery in the Aosta Valley, located in Nus and established in 2018 by the will of a few friends. It has always (i.e. since the owners started working the vineyards in 2015) followed the organic and biodynamic method.
The company’s philosophy can be summed up in the expression ‘less is more’: the aim is to reduce interventions to a minimum, so that nature takes its course. The focus is on eco-sustainability and the will to make the farm’s own way of working known through accompanied visits. All work is done by hand or with a draft horse.

The products
Five wines are in production, two of which are already available: the Fénic and the Pinot Noir. The other wines will be available soon.

There is no fixed point of sale, contact the company for more information.

The visit
The winery can be visited all year round. You can visit the vineyards in Fénis, on foot, by bicycle (rental is possible) or by horse-drawn carriage, with tasting of two or three wines. Visits to other agricultural activities in the area (cheeses, cured meats) can also be added, and it’s possible to have lunch in a restaurant with food from farm to fork.
The tastings can take place in the vineyard or at affiliated establishments in the municipality of Fénis (a hotel, a B&B and a restaurant).
Visits can be booked by phone or email, for a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 20 people, by contacting the owner Stefano.
Languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish and Arabic.

How to get there
The company’s premises are easy to reach, but it is advisable to contact the managers to make an appointment.

Our family-run company takes its name from the village of the same name located on the hill of Nus, at the adrèt, the sunny side of Valle d’Aosta. Liana and Gualtiero started this adventure and their children Edoardo and Beatrice joined them over time.
The company’s land extends for 3 hectares and makes it possible to produce 14.000 bottles of different varieties of fine wines.
Its location directly exposed to the sun, in fact, allows it to obtain a production of high-quality grapes, with an inebriating aroma and high sugar content. The hill of Nus is traditionally suited to viticulture; the temperature range favors the production of aromas and natural acidity in the wine, in addition to the strong exposure that favors aging. During the Middle Ages, the local producers supplied wine grapes to the canons of the Great Saint Bernard, as attested by the documents of the time.
The beginning of the activity took place in 1991 with the cultivation of old family vineyards, exploited mostly as a passion and so as not to let the crops planted with difficulty by their ancestors fall into neglect. Only later, with the expansion of the cultivated area, did the business turn professional, focusing in particular on the recovery and enhancement of the ancient local vines.
Initially the grapes were given to a cooperative; since 2005, with the creation of a modern and well-equipped winery, the production of wine has been carried out directly on the company premises. The vines grown are Vien de Nus, Cornalin, Pinot nero and grigio, Fumin, Mayolet, Vullermin, Ner d’Ala and Petit Rouge, varieties that have been present in the area for centuries and deserve to be again, and adequately, enhanced. Nus Malvoisie, Nus Malvoisie Flétri, Nus, Cornalin, Fumin and Pinot Noir are produced with these grapes.
The processing in the winery is reduced to a minimum, the fermentationis spontaneous and derives from the local yeasts of the grapes; apart from a minimum dose of sulfur, there are no other additives, and no filtrations or clarifications are carried out.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Nus Malvoisie DOC, Vin Rosè “La Rose Rare”
Red DOC wines: Cornalin DOC, Nus DOC, Nus Superieur DOC, Pinot Noir DOC, Fumin DOC, Vuillermin DOC
DOC straw wine: Nus Malvoisie Flétri DOC

There is a sales point open all year round at any time, upon reservation.

The visit
The best times to visit the winery and vineyards are winter, early spring and summer.
It is possible to organize tastings, as well as dinners. Visits and tastings are to be arranged by telephone reservation, as are the number of visitors and the costs.

Languages spoken: Italian, French and a bit of English.

How to get there
From the Nus state highway, turn towards the Nus hill at the Rovarey village, from there, there are signs for Les Granges.

Cave MONAJA was born from the idea of recovering and enhancing Farys’s monumental grapevine, but at the same time saving those “small family vineyards” in the process of being abandoned, preferring a completely eco-sustainable approach. “I like to think that this choice of keeping the territory alive, enhancing a product that is part of the social fabric, is my small contribution to making our tomorrow better”. CK
The company produces 5.000 bottles from 1.5 hectares of vineyards. The grapevines grown are Petit Rouge, Fumin, Vien de Nus, Muscat Petit Grain, Pinot Noir, Traminer.
The company is undergoing certification for the Sustainability of Viticulture in Italy.

The products
White DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: STAU - Vallée d’Aoste AOC Blanc
Red DOP wines: FOEHN - Vallée d’Aoste AOC Rouge, MONAJA300 - Vallée d’Aoste AOC Rouge, SM Souvenii - 2020 - Vallée d’Aoste DOC Rouge

There is not a retail outlet that is permanently open, but it is possible to purchase products by contacting us via telephone.

The visit
Wineries and vineyards are visitable from Monday to Sunday upon reservation (min. 6, max. 8 participants). It is also possible to make reservations for tastings, too.
Languages spoken: Italian, French, English and Spanish.

How to get there
Near the Aosta Est motorway exit just before the SEA dealer.

The history of the company began in 2001, when the Rosset family decided to cultivate their land in the Senin area of Saint-Christophe with grapevines. The first cultivated plot is about three hectares and has the international shoots of Chardonnay as its first planting, followed by Syrah and the autochthonous Cornalin. In the expansion of the range, the Petit Rouge was planted, another indigenous grape variety, selected with great attention by Matteo Moretto, the company’s agronomist and oenologist.
In recent years we have invested in the favorable area of Chambave, with 2 hectares of Moscato Bianco vineyards, where our Chambave Muscat Vallée d’Aoste DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) is born and in the area of Villeneuve with another 2 hectares located in truly heroic places, over 900 meters in altitude; here we grow our Petite Arvine and Pinot Gris.
About 50.000 bottles are produced annually.
In addition to the vineyards, agricultural products such as Rubusidaeus (raspberries), Artemisia umbelliformis (Génépy) and the precious Crocus sativus (saffron) have always been cultivated for the production of liqueurs.

The products

White DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Prémisse DOP, Chambave Muscat Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Chardonnay Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Pinot Gris Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Petite Arvine Vallée d’Aoste DOP

Red DOP wines: Trasor DOP, Cornalin Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Syrah Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Pinot Noir Vallée d’Aoste DOP, Nebbiolo Vallée d’Aoste DOP

Some non-DOP wines are also produced: Sopraquota 900 (white).

There is a sales point open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.

The visit

The winery can be visited all year round and tastings are possible, by reservation, from Monday to Friday from 8am to 1pm and from 2pm to 5pm.

The winery is equipped with a Repower charging station for electric cars. Guests who come to visit the company can use this service.

Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there

Aosta east motorway exit, follow the direction of Quart, at the roundabout, take the third exit and continue towards Torrent de Maillod.

At the end of the 1800’s the Levi family founded a distillery in Aosta, in the town of Sant’Orso, that produces the unique Grappa di Saint’Orso. Years passed and, in 1968, Natalina Levi created the Saint-Roch distillery together with her husband. The business, which is now bigger, has moved to Quart, at the outskirts of Aosta, and creates traditional spirits and liqueurs. The ingredients are few, but necessary: love for the territory and passion for their work.

Products
Grappa, liqueurs, génépy, chocopy, syrups and sweets.
The shop is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visit
Focusing on innovation, local raw materials and cohesion with the territory, the distillery allows visitors to visit and observe how the grappas and distillates are made.
Tasting sessions are available.
Cost per person: €6.00
The distillery can be visited all year round upon reservation at saintroch@saintroch.it.
Languages: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
The distillery is in Quart, in the resort Torrent de Maillod, no. 4.

Founded in 1968 by grandfather Dauphin Grosjean, this family business soon established itself at the top of the Valle d’Aosta mountain viticulture tradition.
Having obtained the organic certification in 2011, the Grosjean family has always tried to enhance the territory and the local grapes.
With the passage to the third generation, at the dawn of 2018, in its 19 cultivated hectares, the Grosjean Winery confirms a solid family tradition that continues the work started half a century ago.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Chardonnay, Petite Arvine, Muscat Petit Grain, Chambave Muscat, Müller Thurgau
Red DOC wines: Fumin, Pinot Noir, Cornalin, Torrette, Premetta, Syrah, Gamay
Other wines: Cuvéeottantanove, Montmary rosé extra brut classic method

There is a point of sale open without reservation from Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited from Monday to Saturday upon reservation at the following number +39 0165 775791 or via the web page.
It is possible to have tastings; for details and reservation, please click here.

Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
Coming from the highway, exit at Aosta Est. Take the road to Villair de Quart, pass by the church and follow the signs for “Quart Castle”, “Monastery”, “Frères Grosjean”. The winery is about 3 km from the motorway exit.

The cooperative collects, matures and sells the Fontina cheese.
The cooperative’s products are available for sale in four chalet shops:

• Saint-Christophe (tel. +39 0165 32647)
• Pré-Saint-Didier (tel. +39 0165 87850)
• Cogne (tel. +39 0165 74466)
• Fontainemore (tel. +39 0125 832198)

The Visitors Centre of Valpelline can be visited and you will find more information here.

The small Noussan winery was founded in 2004, but already in 1999 when Franco took over the vineyards of his wife Gabriella’s family, he began the recovery of the old vineyards by planting petit rouge, mayolet, fumin and pinot gris.
Initially, the production was aimed at family consumption, then in 2003 the decision was made to rent other vineyards, so as to have an area of 5.500 meters, and to found a regulated company for the production and marketing of wine.
Processing in the vineyard is totally manual and is carried out with great passion and respect for nature; for some years no type of herbicide has been used, the shoots and the grass are chopped on the site to favor the decomposition thus forming a rich soil of humus; fertilizations are carried out only with manure, and only the pesticide products allowed by the EU regulations for agri-environmental measures are used.
The current surface area is 2.4 hectares of vineyards divided up among five municipalities, Saint-Christophe, Quart, Saint-Pierre, Sarre and Aosta; about 10.000 bottles are produced.

The products
Red DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines: Torrette, Torrette Supérieur vigne La Prieure, Pinot Noir, Fumin
White wines DOP: Pinot Gris (Blanc du Tzanté), Petite Arvine (Toules)
Other wines
Red wines: Saint’Ours (blend)

The visit
You can visit the winery and the vineyards, with the possibility of wine tasting.
The company can be visited all year round, upon reservation, for a maximum of 10 people.
Tasting of five wines: € 10.00 per person.

Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
Google Maps: Società agricola Noussan.

The company is certified organic and works in an environmentally sustainable way, using neither chemicals in the vineyard nor enological additives in the winery except for the use of sulphites which are used only in some cases and in very low doses.

The products
The company does not produce DOC (Controlled Denomination of Origin) (DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) wines; it produces red, rosé and white and macerated white (orange) table wines.

Direct sale at the winery upon reservation.

The visit
The winery and the vineyards can be visited, with the possibility of wine tastings.
Costs for the visit and tastings per person:
the costs vary according to the type of visit, the advance notice helps to accommodate in the best possible way.
The company can be visited all year round, upon reservation.
Minimum and maximum number of visitors: min 1, max 10; larger groups must notify at least 15 days in advance.

Languages spoken: Italian, French and English.

How to get there
From Quart state highway 26, head towards Saint-Christophe, go up a few hairpin bends from the centre.