Food & Wine - visit the producers: Verrayes

The Ambiente Grumei beekeeping farm is located in the municipality of Verrayes, in the Cherolinaz hamlet (just 4 km from the valley floor) at 800 metres above sea level and dominates the central valley at its widest point; in front of it are snow-capped mountains of 3,500 m and in the distance the first glaciers of the upper valley.

Entirely organically run, operational since '91, it is multifunctional: in addition to the prevalent beekeeping activity, it also practices fruit growing and horticulture, thus completing the entire supply chain, from production to processing up to the direct sale of products both at the point of sale and at the main trade fairs in the Aosta Valley.

It is also an educational and social farm and collaborates with professional guides offering nature-hiking activities throughout the Aosta Valley.

All products can be purchased at the company shop (we recommend giving advance notice by calling the numbers listed in the "Contacts" section).

The visit

• Farm visits for families or small groups: either short (about 45 minutes) or long (about 90-120 minutes)
• Farm visits for larger groups or schools: half a day or full day (with personalized programs to be agreed)
• Paid visits: discounts for children or organized groups
• Languages spoken: french, english, spanish

The apiary of well-being, an immersive experience:  give yourself a moment of absolute relaxation inside a large and comfortable hut: observe the bees in safety and appreciate their beneficial scents based on propolis, honey, wax with the pleasant background of their buzzing.

Honey tasting and visit to the honey extraction and transformation laboratories.

It is also possible to visit the orchards, vegetable gardens, and aromatic plant cultivations.

Possibility of having a packed lunch or tasting company products in equipped outdoor spaces.

Games and recognition of birds and flowers are organized for younger visitors.

Also proposed are excursions with a nature-hiking guide suitable for all age groups and throughout the region. Snow excursions with snowshoes in the winter. In the area, excursions along the "ru", ancient irrigation channels between larch and Scots pine forests, are worth mentioning. In May, the mid-mountain moors turn pink: it is the flowering of wild thyme.

Period of activity: from March to October for both structured groups (school or otherwise) and for families and/or tourists

Reception capacity: for structured groups (min 10 max 25)

How to get there

Traveling on the A5 motorway, exit at the Châtillon - Saint-Vincent toll booth and take the S.S. 26, following it for 8 km in the direction of Aosta until the Champagne di Verrayes roundabout. Turn right onto the regional road 42 (signposted Verrayes - Colle San Pantaleone) and go up to the 4th Km, where you will find the car park and a wooden sign indicating the hamlet of Cherolinaz.

The La Vrille holiday farm and winery (‘viticcio’ in Italian), located along the Via Francigena at 670 m asl, was founded in 2002 from a project dreamed of and conceived by Hervé, a former sailor and great-grandson of emigrants from Valle d’Aosta, who decided to return to the cultivation of his ancestors’ land and Luciana, a lover of life in the name of simplicity.
The vineyards, arranged in a natural amphitheater overlooking the Avic and Emilius mountains, are almost entirely cultivated with autochthonous vines such as Vuillermin, Petit Rouge, Cornalin and Fumin, with the one exception of Pinot Noir.
A large area is reserved for Muscat Petit Grain, used for the production of the historic Chambave Muscat, and for the award-winning Chambave MusctaFlétri, the company’s sweet wine.

The products
White DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wines: Chambave Muscat
Red DOC wines: Cornalin, Fumin, Chambave, Pinot noir, Vuillermin
DOC straw wine: Chambave Muscat Fletry

The sales point is open upon phone reservation.

The visit
It is possible to visit the winery and the vineyards. Several types of tastings can be booked, based on requests and the number of participants.
Cost of the tasting: to be agreed upon at the time of booking.
The company can be visited upon phone reservation (Hervé Deguillaume).
Languages spoken: Italian and French.

How to get there
Coming from the A5 motorway, exit at Nus. After approximately 5 km, at the first roundabout, turn left towards Verrayes. Go up for about 600 m, turn right towards “La Vrille agritourisme, Crétaz, Clapey, Grangeon”. Follow the small road that goes up for about 800 m.