Valle d'Aosta DOC
Encyclopedia
The Valle d'Aosta DOC is an Italian
denominazione di origine controllata
located in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy
. Surrounded by the Alps
, the Valle d'Aosta is home to the highest elevated
vineyards in all of Europe
. The principal winemaking
region of the Valle d'Aosta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea
river with the city of Aosta
serving as the central winemaking location. The region is divided into three main vineyard areas; the upper valley, Valdigne
, the central valley, Valle Centrale and the lower valley, Bassa Valley. To the south is the winemaking region of Piemonte
. The Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest winemaking region both in terms of size and production with only about 330,000 cases produced annually in the region and only 36,000 cases produced under the DOC label. Seventy five percent of the area's production is red wine
made mostly from the Pinot noir
, Gamay
and Petit Rouge
varieties. The majority of white wine production is made from the indigenous
Blanc de Morgex grape.
time in early September. The geography of the wine regions is marked by high, steep slopes leading to the river valley which makes the use of mechanical vineyard equipment nearly impossible. The vineyard soils are composed primarily of sand
at the higher elevation with more alluvial sediments of clay
and gravel
further down into the valley.
is home to the highest elevated vineyards in Europe at 3,937 feet above sea level
. The white grape Blanc de Morgex is the main production grape in the area and is used to produce the wine Blanc de Mordex et de la Salle in both a still and sparkling wine
style. Due to its high elevations, the area area has never been affected by phylloxera
louse which has allowed the vineyards of this area to remain with ungrafted
rootstock
.
The Valle Centrale is the region's most productive area and is further sub-divided into four areas-Enfer d'Arvier, Torrette, Nus and Chambave. The Enfer d'Arvier is a red wine producing area around the village of Arvier
. The wines from this area are blends made primarily from the Petit Rouge grape with lesser amounts of Dolcetto
, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. Previously Enfer d'Arvier had its own DOC designation but was subsequently incorporated into the Valle d'Aosta DOC. The area of the Torrette sub-zone is located east of Arvier and produces a drier wine made with at least 70% Petit Rouge and smaller quantities of Dolcetto, Fumin
, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir and/or Vien de Nus. The village of Nus
, located east of Aosta, produces a wine made with at least 50% Vien de Nus and at least 40% Petit Rouge. White wines are made in this area from a Pinot gris
clone
known as Malvoisie including a sweet passito straw wine. East of Nus is the sub-zone of Chambave which includes the communities of Chambave
, Châtillon
and Saint-Vincent
. The red wines made here are composed of at least 60% Petit Rouge with some Dolcetto, Gamay and/or Pinot noir. The white wines made here are from the Moscato Bianco grape.
The Bassa Valley is known primarily for two styles of wine. The Arnad
-Montjovet
area produces a medium-bodied dry red wine made from at least 70% Nebbiolo with some Dolcetto, Freisa
, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. The area near the commune of Donnaz (or Donnas) produces wine made from at least 85% Nebbiolo with some Freisa, Neyret, Pinot noir and Vien du Nuys. Like Enfer d'Arvier, Donnas at one point had its own DOC designation.
ly labeled as long as it contains at least 90% from one of the following grapes-Chardonnay
, Fumin, Gamay, Müller-Thurgau
, Petite Arvine
, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Petit Rouge and Premetta. A generic Valle d'Aosta Bianco/Blanc, Valle d'Aosta Rosso/Rouge and Valle d'Aosta Rosato/Rosé
can be produced from any local grape as long as the wine is made in the appropriate color for the style. The region has no Indicazione Geografica Tipica
(IGT) designations so that any wine that doesn't fit into one of the 22 DOC styles is sound under the vini da tavola designation.
with a minimum alcohol levels of at least 9%. Wines typically must age for at least 6 months prior to public release. For some individual wine styles there are notable exceptions and stricter requirements such as the Pinot gris from Nus which is required to have a maximum yield of 8 tonnes/ha and a minimum alcohol content of 16.5% which is very high for a typical white wine. The reserve wine
s labeled Superiore from the Arnad-Montjovet region must have a minimum alcohol level of 12% and be aged for two years. The Superiore wines from Torrette need a similar 12% alcohol level but only require eight months of aging which is specifically required to be done in oak (wine). The Moscatos from Chambave also require oak aging but only for three months.
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
denominazione di origine controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
located in the Aosta Valley of northwest Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Surrounded by the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, the Valle d'Aosta is home to the highest elevated
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
vineyards in all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The principal winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
region of the Valle d'Aosta is found along the eastern banks of the Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea
Dora Baltea or Doire Baltée , is a river in northern Italy. It is a left-hand tributary of the Po River, and is about 160 km long...
river with the city of Aosta
Aosta
Aosta is the principal city of the bilingual Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps, north-northwest of Turin. It is situated near the Italian entrance of the Mont Blanc Tunnel, at the confluence of the Buthier and the Dora Baltea, and at the junction of the Great and Little St. Bernard routes...
serving as the central winemaking location. The region is divided into three main vineyard areas; the upper valley, Valdigne
Valdigne
The Valdigne is the upper part of the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy. It is traversed by the Dora Baltea, a tributary of the Po.It extends from Derby to Courmayeur, including the side valleys of Val Ferret, Val Veny and Vallone di La Thuile.The communes which belong to the Valdigne are...
, the central valley, Valle Centrale and the lower valley, Bassa Valley. To the south is the winemaking region of Piemonte
Piemonte (wine)
Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the province of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy.The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape...
. The Valle d'Aosta is Italy's smallest winemaking region both in terms of size and production with only about 330,000 cases produced annually in the region and only 36,000 cases produced under the DOC label. Seventy five percent of the area's production is red wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
made mostly from the Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Gamay
Gamay
Gamay is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines, most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley around Tours. Its full name is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. It is a very old cultivar, mentioned as long ago as the 15th century...
and Petit Rouge
Petit Rouge
Petit Rouge is a red Italian wine grape variety that ampelographers believe is indigenous to the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy. However, there is some confusion about whether Petit Rouge is the same variety as the red Swiss wine grape Rouge de Valais....
varieties. The majority of white wine production is made from the indigenous
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
Blanc de Morgex grape.
Climate and geography
The area of the Aosta valley has continental climate and despite its location in the Alps region the weather is typically very hot and dry in the summer time which tends to put harvestHarvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
time in early September. The geography of the wine regions is marked by high, steep slopes leading to the river valley which makes the use of mechanical vineyard equipment nearly impossible. The vineyard soils are composed primarily of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
at the higher elevation with more alluvial sediments of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
further down into the valley.
Vineyards
The wine making region of the Valle d'Aosta is generally divided into three areas. In the northwest, the Valdigne area south of the commune of CourmayeurCourmayeur
Courmayeur is an Italian town and comune in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in northern Italy. It is located at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in western Europe, in the Graian Alps range, and is crossed by the Dora Baltea...
is home to the highest elevated vineyards in Europe at 3,937 feet above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The white grape Blanc de Morgex is the main production grape in the area and is used to produce the wine Blanc de Mordex et de la Salle in both a still and sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
style. Due to its high elevations, the area area has never been affected by phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
louse which has allowed the vineyards of this area to remain with ungrafted
Grafting
Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join together. This vascular joining is called inosculation...
rootstock
Rootstock
A rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or budding from another plant. The tree part being grafted onto the rootstock is usually called the scion...
.
The Valle Centrale is the region's most productive area and is further sub-divided into four areas-Enfer d'Arvier, Torrette, Nus and Chambave. The Enfer d'Arvier is a red wine producing area around the village of Arvier
Arvier
Arvier is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.- Geography :-Wine:The local wine, Enfer d'Arvier, had its own DOC designation before being subsumed into the Valle d'Aosta DOC...
. The wines from this area are blends made primarily from the Petit Rouge grape with lesser amounts of Dolcetto
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the...
, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. Previously Enfer d'Arvier had its own DOC designation but was subsequently incorporated into the Valle d'Aosta DOC. The area of the Torrette sub-zone is located east of Arvier and produces a drier wine made with at least 70% Petit Rouge and smaller quantities of Dolcetto, Fumin
Fumin (grape)
Fumin is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy. According to wine expert Jancis Robinson, the grape is "tough" and used primarily as a blending grape in the Denominazione di origine controllatas of the region....
, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir and/or Vien de Nus. The village of Nus
Nus
Nus is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of northern Italy....
, located east of Aosta, produces a wine made with at least 50% Vien de Nus and at least 40% Petit Rouge. White wines are made in this area from a Pinot gris
Pinot gris
Pinot gris is a white wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. Thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot noir grape, it normally has a grayish-blue fruit, accounting for its name but the grape can have a brownish pink to black and even white appearance...
clone
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
known as Malvoisie including a sweet passito straw wine. East of Nus is the sub-zone of Chambave which includes the communities of Chambave
Chambave
Chambave is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.The communal territory is crossed by the Dora Baltea. The highest peak is the Mont Avic .-Wine:...
, Châtillon
Châtillon, Italy
Chatillon is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.-Frazioni:Bourg, Breil de Barrel , Gros Breil, Grand Frayan, Petit Frayan, Barma des Antesans, Setoret, Cret de Breil, Baron Gamba, Grange de Barme, Chameran, Chameran Alta, Fours, Ventoux, Garín, Pavirola, Sez de Val,...
and Saint-Vincent
Saint-Vincent, Italy
Saint-Vincent is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. Saint-Vincent , is a popular summer holiday resort with mineral springs .-Geography:...
. The red wines made here are composed of at least 60% Petit Rouge with some Dolcetto, Gamay and/or Pinot noir. The white wines made here are from the Moscato Bianco grape.
The Bassa Valley is known primarily for two styles of wine. The Arnad
Arnad
Arnad is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy....
-Montjovet
Montjovet
Montjovet is a town and comune in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy....
area produces a medium-bodied dry red wine made from at least 70% Nebbiolo with some Dolcetto, Freisa
Freisa
Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early...
, Neyret, Pinot noir, and/or Vien de Nus. The area near the commune of Donnaz (or Donnas) produces wine made from at least 85% Nebbiolo with some Freisa, Neyret, Pinot noir and Vien du Nuys. Like Enfer d'Arvier, Donnas at one point had its own DOC designation.
Other wines
Other DOC wines in the Valle d'Aosta can be varietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
ly labeled as long as it contains at least 90% from one of the following grapes-Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Fumin, Gamay, Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau
Müller-Thurgau is a variety of white grape which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine Royale. It is used to make white wine in Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Hungary, England, in Australia, Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
, Petite Arvine
Petite Arvine
Petite Arvine is a white wine grape planted primarily in the Valais region of Switzerland. Total Swiss plantations of the variety in 2009 stood at ....
, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Petit Rouge and Premetta. A generic Valle d'Aosta Bianco/Blanc, Valle d'Aosta Rosso/Rouge and Valle d'Aosta Rosato/Rosé
Rosé
A rosé is a type of wine that has some of the color typical of a red wine, but only enough to turn it pink. The pink color can range from a pale orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the grapes and wine making techniques.- Production techniques :There are three major ways to produce rosé...
can be produced from any local grape as long as the wine is made in the appropriate color for the style. The region has no Indicazione Geografica Tipica
Indicazione geografica tipica
Indicazione geografica tipica is the second of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans, IGT wines are labeled with the locality of their creation, but do not meet the...
(IGT) designations so that any wine that doesn't fit into one of the 22 DOC styles is sound under the vini da tavola designation.
DOC regulations
For the majority of wines, DOC regulations require harvest yields below 12 tonnes per haHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
with a minimum alcohol levels of at least 9%. Wines typically must age for at least 6 months prior to public release. For some individual wine styles there are notable exceptions and stricter requirements such as the Pinot gris from Nus which is required to have a maximum yield of 8 tonnes/ha and a minimum alcohol content of 16.5% which is very high for a typical white wine. The reserve wine
Reserve wine
Reserve wine is a term given to a specific wine to imply that is of a higher quality than usual, or a wine that has been aged before being sold, or both. Traditionally winemakers would "reserve" some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term.In some countries the use of...
s labeled Superiore from the Arnad-Montjovet region must have a minimum alcohol level of 12% and be aged for two years. The Superiore wines from Torrette need a similar 12% alcohol level but only require eight months of aging which is specifically required to be done in oak (wine). The Moscatos from Chambave also require oak aging but only for three months.