Conthey cellar of 30 hectares founded in 1968 by the oenologist Jacques Germanier, working Amigne, Petite Arvine and Cornalin alongside its traditional-method Brut.
Tip: Ask about the Signature bottlings, labelled by Swiss artists, when you book a cellar visit.
Address: Route de Vens 1, 1964 Conthey, Switzerland, Valais
Cooperative cellar at Visperterminen founded in 1979, whose members work terraced plots high above Visp, and built around Heida from those vines.
Tasting: Cellar tours, vineyard tours and tasting packages for up to 50 people, weekdays 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:30, Saturday 9:00 to 16:00, seven minutes by postbus from Visp.
Tip: Heida Visperterminen is the reason to come; the postbus from Visp takes about seven minutes.
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.
Tasting: Cellar and vineyard visits, tasting packages and events, Monday to Thursday 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:30, Friday to 18:00, Saturday 10:00 to 12:00, capacity up to 60.
Tip: Chloe Fontannaz now handles the winemaking, and Saturday mornings are the walk-in window.
Fourth-generation family estate on the Colline de Geronde above Sierre, working ten domains between Loeche and Fully, with Petite Arvine, Ermitage, Cornalin and Syrah anchoring the range.
Tasting: Free self-guided visit of the Colline de Geronde site, plus a commented tasting hosted by a family member.
Tip: The Geronde hill site can be walked without booking, or reserved as a commented tasting led by a family member.
Martigny house started in 1874 by Alphonse Orsat and part of the Rouvinez group since 1998, buying from more than 1,100 growers between Martigny and Salgesch for its Primus Classicus range.
Tasting: Cellar and shop in Martigny pouring the house range, Monday to Friday 08:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:30.
Tip: The Rue du Levant cellar keeps weekday hours, and the Primus Classicus range is the one to ask for.
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.
Tasting: Tastings, group offers and excursion packages, with art vernissages in the cave. Tuesday and Friday 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:00, the last Saturday of each month 11:00 to 17:00, other days on request.
Tip: Gouais is rarely bottled on its own anywhere; the cave opens Tuesday and Friday, plus the last Saturday of the month.
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.
Tasting: Espace Merlot point of sale and tasting, Monday to Friday 09:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 17:00. Dry stone walling courses run on the estate terraces.
Tip: Espace Merlot keeps weekday office hours only, so plan the visit around a working day rather than a weekend.
