8 hidden gems worth the trip across Switzerland, editor-ranked by Cork & Curve. All Switzerland guides.
Denis Mercier ★ 4.3 · Valais
Sierre/Salgesch · Cret-Goubing 42, 3960 Sierre, Switzerland
Small estate on the Pradec and Goubing slopes above Sierre, begun in 1982 with 3 hectares and now 7, where winemaker Madeleine Mercier works clay-limestone soils under self-seeding plant cover.
Tip: A family cellar in Sierre worth booking ahead for the Pradec and Goubing terroir wines.
Chanton Weine ★ 4.3 · Valais
Visperterminen · Kantonsstrasse 70, 3930 Visp, Switzerland
Visp producer run by the Chanton family since 1944 and led by Mario Chanton since 2008, working near-forgotten Upper Valais grapes such as Himbertscha, Lafnetscha and Heida.
Tip: The place to taste Himbertscha and Lafnetscha, grapes almost no other cellar bottles.
Cave du Chevalier Bayard ★ 4.0 · Valais
Varen · Dorfstrasse 60, 3953 Varen, Switzerland
Family cellar at Varen on the slope above the Pfyn forest, bottling the rare old Valais white Gouais beside Humagne Blanche, Cornalin, Diolinoir and Pinot Noir.
Tip: Gouais is rarely bottled on its own anywhere; the cave opens Tuesday and Friday, plus the last Saturday of the month.
Gregor Kuonen ★ 4.0 · Valais
Sierre/Salgesch · Unterdorfstrasse 11, 3970 Salgesch, Switzerland
Upper Valais cave in Salgesch, run by the Kuonen family for four decades and directed today by Patrick Revey with Larissa Kuonen as oenologist. Range runs from Heida to Cornalin.
Tip: Ask for the Lafnetscha, one of the rare high-altitude Upper Valais white grapes.
La Madeleine, Andre Fontannaz et filles ★ 4.0 · Valais
Ardon/Vetroz · Route Cantonale 118, 1963 Vetroz, Switzerland
Vetroz estate founded in 1991 by Andre Fontannaz and now shared with his daughters Chloe and Camille, farming Amigne, Fendant, Cornalin and Petite Arvine on the village slopes.
Tip: Chloe Fontannaz now handles the winemaking, and Saturday mornings are the walk-in window.
Philippe Darioli ★ 3.9 · Valais
Leytron/Chamoson · Rue des Caves 6, 1908 Riddes, Switzerland
Three-hectare grower in Riddes with parcels in Leytron and Chamoson on limestone and schist soils, hand-farmed by owner Philippe Darioli across some fourteen Valais varietals.
Tip: Tastings happen in Darioli's own carnotzet in Riddes; call ahead, this is a one-person cellar.
Maurice Zufferey ★ 3.9 · Valais
Sierre/Salgesch · Chemin des Moulins 52, 3960 Sierre, Switzerland
Family cellar in Sierre founded in 1982 by Maurice Zufferey and joined by his son Adrien in 2016, making Fendant, Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Syrah among others.
Tip: Open Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings; other days are by appointment only.
Cave de l'Etat du Valais, Domaine de Chateauneuf ★ 3.9 · Valais
Sion · Avenue Maurice-Troillet 260, 1951 Sion, Switzerland
The canton of Valais farms this 3.5 hectare estate on dry stone terraces at Chateauneuf, where Valais Merlot was planted in 1931, and still bottles it beside Fendant and Cornalin.
Tip: Espace Merlot keeps weekday office hours only, so plan the visit around a working day rather than a weekend.